


Of Feathers & Roses

by Celosia



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Airships, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Amnesia, Angst, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Bounty Hunters, Death, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Pirate England (Hetalia), Pirate Prussia (Hetalia), Pirate Scotland (Hetalia), Pirates, Royalty, Seelie Court, Sky Pirates, Spy Canada (Hetalia), Steampunk, Swearing, Swordfighting, Unseelie Court, War, clockwork animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 52,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celosia/pseuds/Celosia
Summary: In the beginning, it hadn't taken much for Matthew to sneak aboard theBloody Victoria IIat the request of his captain, the notorious Captain Beilschmidt, in order to get the attention of one pirate: Captain Arthur Kirkland, a man that Gilbert had known long ago in what felt like another life. It was supposed to be a simple mission, but Matthew had never expected to become the center of the captain's brother's attention along the way. However, there is more to their entwined pasts than meets the eye, and as new dark secrets and shared enemies begin to emerge, will they all be able to survive the sacrifices that will have to be made?





	1. You're No Gentleman

“Get me out of here!” a voice spat. The chair he sat on rattled as he attempted to squeeze himself out of the ropes that bound him to it. “Oi! I’m talking to you wankers!”

 

Arthur was in, well, a bit of a predicament. His wrists burned, and his entire body was craving the sweet taste of freedom. It didn’t help that his head still felt foggy and disoriented from the drinks he had been having prior. Arthur still couldn’t understand how he had managed to end up in the hands of this scum.

 

He snarled at the figure in the doorway, baring his teeth as if he were some kind of feral beast. “Where the fuck am I?” he demanded, still tugging harshly at the ropes around his wrists. Arthur only stilled slightly whenever the man standing near the door began talking.

 

“I know people. People who would pay good money to see the great Arthur Kirkland brought to justice.” The silhouette smiled happily, and a long, thin finger traced a line across his own neck. “And what d’you know? Two birds with one stone.”

 

“Two?” Arthur raised an eyebrow somewhat curiously, but it looked like his captor had enough of talking. “You know, tying someone up is rather rude, don’t you think?” The blond stared at the dark figure for a moment, before hanging his head low, shaggy blond hair falling around his face and neck like a lion’s mane. “That’s a lovely lookin’ whip you got there. What do you plan to do with it?”

 

“I think you know,” he said lowly after a few minutes of silence had passed. “You’re to be brought alive, but they didn’t say nothin’ about bringing you all banged up a bit.”

 

“So you’re going to beat me? Into what? Submission?” A laugh of disbelief erupted from Arthur’s lips, lifting his gaze wildly to meet his captor’s. “That’s no way to treat a gentleman.”

 

“You’re no gentleman. You’re a pirate!”

 

“Can’t I be both?” The young man fell silent again, and Arthur sighed, relaxing further into his chair. “Well, this should be fun. Don’t think I’ve been on the receiving end of a good beating for a while.”

 

The man gave him an incredulous look before unravelling the whip that was curled loosely around his belt, his fingers sliding over the notches in the leather. It made Arthur inwardly cringe at how many other people it had been used on, how many other people’s blood had been spilled by this loon.

 

“C’mon then lad, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and—” Arthur was barely able to finish his sentence before the end of a fraying rope smacked him square in the jaw. “Wow. Okay. Wasn’t expecting that.” He really should have though.

 

“S-Shut the fuck up!”

 

“You’re not very friendly, are you?” The pirate commented dryly, his left cheek stinging from where it had just been hit. “…You said you’re selling me to someone, right?”

 

“Yep. We’ll toast to you as thanks for making us rich.”

 

Arthur threw his head back with laughter, a wide grin spreading across his face. “You really think they’ll keep their side of the deal? Not with you, they won’t. Maybe some bounty hunters could get a good amount of riches, but you? You’re just a merchant with a shoddy air ship. They’ll likely throw you in the cell with me!”

 

“You’re lying.” The other man spat, moving the end of the whip to press up against the pirate’s throat so hard that Arthur found it difficult to swallow. That didn’t deter him though.

 

“And you’re late.” His captor looked confused for a moment, but Arthur’s face remained set in a smug grin. Another figure stood, waiting at the door. “Allistor.” 


	2. I Wouldn't Have Known

Allistor Kirkland raised a gloved hand to the resin rose necklace that hung loosely around his neck, as if to stop it from swaying too much as he walked. His habitual slow, relaxed stride was a bit more hurried than usual, and that did nothing to help his already sour mood. While he preferred to keep things at a leisurely, civil pace, he felt only annoyance at the fact that the men aboard the poorly constructed vessel would not leave him be on his way.

 

All he wished for was to pop in and maybe retrieve his dear brother, so he couldn't help but question why everyone was making such an effort to keep him from doing so.

 

_ It's the bloody brat's fault I'm here in the first place… _ the red-haired man thought bitterly as readjusted his already tattered hat on his head before breaking off into a jog with his broadsword in hand.

 

The heavily buckled boots he wore for usual daily lounging were doing nothing to help conceal his presence as they thumped against the metal plating of the floor, practically loud enough for anyone within a 20 meter radius to hear-- _ feel _ , even.

 

When he had first stepped aboard the ship after ordering his crew to hover overhead so that when he returned with Arthur it would be easier for them to make a quick retreat, everything had been quiet. There was only the sound of the engine motors and the passing, nightly wind that greeted him. At first, he had assumed that perhaps the crew members of the foreign ship had seen them from a distance and were then hiding away, opting to attack at the first chance they had so they could take him in... A quick survey of the main deck proved his assumption incorrect.

 

In a moment of stupidity, he had ultimately assumed that the entire mission of obtaining his brother was going to be a synch, but it was during said moment that a crewmember decided to make themselves known by letting out one of the most frighteningly loudest snores Allistor had heard in the entirety of his life. It was because of Allistor's slightly unmanly yell that had landed him in the predicament of having to swerve through masses of grouchy, still-sleepy men with knives and swords alike.

 

As the man was mentally smacking himself for being so careless, two men stumbled around a bend a few meters ahead of him. Both of which had weapons, and both of which with very, very pissed off expressions.

 

Allistor skidded to a halt a few feet in front of the men, hat lowered over his face, thus shadowing his slightly embarrassed smile. "I'm guessin' I woke ye lads from your beauty sleep and whatnot?" He couldn't help but grin slightly towards the end, his amusement for the situation making itself apparent.

 

"Shut it, you barbaric bastard!" one of the men yelled at him, drawing their hand back as if getting ready to throw the heavily polished dagger in his direction, the other following suit with a much tenser posture.

 

Allistor simply clicked his tongue at them in disbelief, straightening his back. "So ye can use adjectives! I thought everyone on this ship had a room temperature IQ," he waved his sword around him for emphasis, "and 'ere I am, bein' proved wrong, again. Tch." With no other words being said, Allistor leapt forward with his sword braced for contact.

 

The men seemed to have expected the attack, however they were still pushed back a step from where they had both blocked the blade with the blunt edges of their daggers, not expecting the force that came with it. He was a lot stronger that he looked, and he was barely even trying.

 

Using their momentum against them, Allistor pulled away from the two so that they flew forward. With a steady step, he moved to the side and pushed his leg out so as to knock them even more off balance, laughing when they both fell forward with wide eyes. The one who had spoke the first time landed on his wrist in an awkward position, snapping under the force of his combined body weight with the metal flooring. His companion was scrambling to get back up to his feet, but only snarled when he felt a boot press down into the middle of his shoulder blades.

 

With the other man still whimpering, Allistor pushed down harder onto the uninjured man's back and grinned, pushing his hat up. "All foam, no beer... but what can ye expect," he was practically balancing on one foot now, "from someone that follows a man not worth livin'."

 

Before the man could say anything, or even curse out in pain, the boot moved from his shoulder blades to the back of his head, resulting in a bashed in nose and bitten tongue. Another stomp to the back of his, and the man was no longer conscious.

 

"Y-you're just as bad as that f-fuckin' ogre! Go to Hell!!"

 

At the sound of the voice, of which was slightly shaky but still resentful, Allistor cocked his head toward the man with the broken wrist. Although said person had twisted his way onto his back, he still managed to cradle his strangely positioned wrist in his opposite arm in an awkward fashion. Now that both men were in full view of each other, they both glared darkly at the other.

 

With a twist of his arm, he pointed his sword toward the man, the very tip rested barely an inch away from his Adam's apple. It bobbed slightly as the man became more and more aware of just how bad a predicament he was in. "We 'have it floored in neutral, don't we?"Allistor ground out, his stare unwavering as he pressed the point of the blade into the man's neck, succeeding in drawing out a choked gasp. "Now, lad, since ye seem to have an inklin' of where me dear brother's at, why don't ye go ahead and tell me?" 

 

Suffice to say, the man's fear was becoming more prominent with every passing second the piercing, sharp-edged iron was pressed against his skin. He couldn't keep himself from letting out uneasy breaths and staring up at those steely, cold eyes... almost dead and empty. A sharp poke in his neck reminded him just how alive this man was, and just how much of a threat he posed. And yet, he remained tight lipped.

 

Allistor, now beginning to grow tired of the man's defiance, shot him a slightly exasperated look. "Ye really are a bampot, aren't ye...?" he muttered, pulling the sword back to his side and wiping the back of his free hand over his forehead. Hand held against his forehead, he closed his eyes and smiled tightly. "I'll give credit to ye, though."

 

The man blinked, and in the next instant, he was sprawled out on the floor as the result of receiving a heavy kick to his right temple. With a small frown, Allistor brought back his foot back down with a heavy clang against the steel flooring. It would have made things a little easier for him if the bastard would have just spilled some beans... Still, the man had likely been smart enough to know that the result would have been exactly the same.

 

Turning on his heel, coat slightly flailing, Allistor prowled his way down the seemingly colder hall. As he turned the corner, the grip he had on his hilt tightened when he was faced with countless doors on either side of him. Not only would it likely draw more attention to himself, but it would also impede on his mission of finding his brother. The more time he wasted, the more the weight in his stomach would grow.

 

As though in answer to the redhead's now apparent concern, a few muffled shouts resounded along the steel plated, pipe-packed walkway from one of the farthest rooms. Not entirely swayed on just barging into whatever was going on--heaven forbid he walk into something mindlessly, again--he edged his way closer to far end while somehow prevailing in keeping his steps as quiet as possible.

 

With his back against the wall, he peeked his head through the small opening the door gave him, just barely able to hold back the snide remark that was begging to be said. The room itself wasn't anything special; if anything, it was comparable to a cleaner's closet, but a lot more spacious. There were a few crates here and there, along with the rare cleaning appliance or two.

 

A slight movement toward the rear end of the dimly-lit room brought his focus back tenfold. Never before had Allistor felt such a lust to spill blood as much as he did at that point. There, nearly fifteen feet away from where he was standing deathly still, was his brother, Arthur. He was bound, it seemed, and he didn't appear to be making any sort of inclination of breaking out of whatever was keeping him still. 

 

A man, a few inches short of intimidating, was standing over him with the posture of a king. It was when the man shifted that Allistor got a good look at his younger brother. He stiffened to the point his muscles were beginning to ache, but he was willing to put up with the pain so as not to make his presence known yet. When his eyes passed over the red mark on Arthur's grinning face, the weight in his stomach began to make its way to his chest, leaving a searing path of uneasiness in its wake.

 

Arthur seemed to be managing fairly well, especially seeing as he was quite content with laughing at the taller man's attempts of being menacing... Yet Allistor was sure as everything holy that the mark hadn't just appeared out of nowhere…

 

When his ears picked up the  _ oh-so-familiar _ smug voice of his brother saying his name, he nearly smiled. Nearly. He was relieved for his brother's fully conscious state, but he was also thankful for the blackmail he could use later... But he didn't think he'd dwell too much on that.

 

"No idea what ye mean by that, wee brother." Stepping from out of the corner, he grinned lopsidedly as he dragged his feet in through the opening, scraping the tip of his broadsword against the floor as he did so. "But I'm guessin' ye managed to land yerself into some pretty deep shit, aye?" Grin slightly deflating, he cast his hardening eyes onto the man who had now turned to look at him, unmoving. Allistor tapped his sword against his leg so as to keep himself from charging at the sad excuse for a man. "Sadly, I don't appreciate any sort of violence toward kin, so..." He raised his sword so that it pointed straight at the man's increasingly paling face.

 

The room was growing darker--frighteningly so, even--and an uncomfortable pressure was beginning to weigh down a certain whip-wielding man. With a quick step, Allistor closed the distance between them and swiped his sword along where the man's torso would have been, only to find that the man had swerved his body away from the lethal hit. The man's eyes were wide, but soon a frown began to blossom on his features, the paleness of his skin beginning to fade away.

 

With quick movements, he threw the now useless whip away and grabbed the hilt of a sword--Arthur's, presumably--that had been thrown on the ground. With both men now wielding similar weapons, they both adjusted their grip and stared the other down, wholly different thoughts buzzing around in their heads. The man, whom of which Allistor knew not the name of, was the first to attack this time; with only the step of someone who had been in multiple sword fights, he ran forward and angled the top half of his body so Allistor's blade wouldn't pierce his chest, then swiftly brought down his sword intending to hit his opponent's head.

 

Allistor, seemingly aware of just what this man was doing, speedily drew up his own weapon and held it just above where his line of sight began to falter. Using his free hand as leverage to keep his blade steady, the sound of clashing metal was heard when both weapons connected. The man tutted slightly, but it quickly turned into a full blown wheeze as Allistor raised his knee solely intending to hook him in the abdomen.

 

Now unsteady, the man impulsively threw out his hand in order to find something to help regain his balance, but he was quickly knocked aside when the blunt-edge of the redhead's sword slammed roughly against his skull. Frown still in place, Allistor pulled his arm back to its original position and stood over the semi-conscious man.

 

Allistor had honestly expected more of a fight: just what sort of captain could allow his crew to be so bad at physical conflict, he did not know. The adrenaline was only just starting to well up within him, so he couldn't help but feel disappointed, and even slightly angry, that he wouldn't get a fair chance of expressing his frustration toward the entire situation.

 

Leaving the man as he was on the floor--unmoving, but clearly conscious--Allistor sheathed his sword and made his way towards where his brother was still bound to the chair. A small flicker of concern flashed in his usually stony green eyes. He pushed the feeling away as he walked behind the chair and kneeled onto one knee, beginning to unravel the binds that held the blonde captain in place.

 

"Ye know, I could just leave ye here and pretend like nothing ever happened." Still fiddling with the knot, his frown deepened, but he tried his best to mask his relief with amusement. "Luckily, ye don't have that bad of a brother--" A sharp tug at the rope. "--and I don't believe it'd be an easy job managing all those loonies on me own." A few seconds later of tampering with the thick ropes, it finally became loose enough for Arthur to manoeuvre his hands.

 

“Yes, well, lucky for me that I knew you would end up coming to rescue me then, hm? I'm your captain, after all,” Arthur quipped back, a smirk plastered on his face as he stood up and rubbed at his wrists. They would probably be bruised in the morning, judging by the red markings that were already present, but he was lucky to get away with what little injuries that he did.

 

Allistor stood silently, and he tilted his head down so as to keep his expression from being seen.  _ Aye, but if it weren't for that note in my cabin, I wouldn't have even known about ye being abducted… _


	3. Under the Metal Wings

Matthew adjusted the golden bird-shaped mask that covered his face before pulling the front tip of his brown pirate hat down, casting his face in shadow as the golden feather on top of it bobbed slightly with each movement. His long blonde curls were tied back with the help of a copper ribbon, a few loose strands framing his face.

 

He’d finally been able to come out of hiding on the bandits’ airship after a certain red-headed pirate had snuck on and began to make a ruckus. Matthew decided to follow after him, the events that had transpired that night flashing through his mind.

 

It hadn’t taken much for the blonde to be able to sneak aboard the ship himself, but then again, he was used to these types of situations where he had to do all of the “dirty work” for his own captain. This time, Captain Beilschmidt had taken a particular interest in the blonde captain of the  _ Bloody Victoria II _ whom went by the name of Arthur Kirkland, and Gilbert had thus begun another one of his…‘games’ with the Brit without the Brit’s knowledge.

 

It had not taken Matthew much effort to find the British captain’s whereabouts at one of the local taverns, the Emerald Lion. Infiltrating the establishment in the disguise of a barmaid, all it took was slipping a drug into Arthur’s drink to lull him into a drowsy state, and eventually, with the added effect of the alcohol in his system, the green-eyed blonde had passed out. Ten minutes later, the arrogant leader of a group of bandits--whom Gilbert had bribed with the promise of a large pay-off if they successfully captured Captain Kirkland and handed him over to the Prussian captain--had whisked away the unconscious blonde pirate captain. 

 

Watching to make sure that they exited the tavern without incident, Matthew had also left after changing out of the ridiculous barmaid’s outfit he had been practically forced to wear before sneaking onto Kirkland’s ship. The ship had only been docked a few airships down from the bandits’ ship. It hadn't been difficult for Matthew to sneak onto the Bloody Victoria II whilst disguised as one of her crew members. Nor did it take long for the violet-eyed male to find his way to the captain’s brother’s cabin which was, predictably, empty.

 

Matthew knew that it wouldn’t stay that way for very long, though. Placing an anonymous note on the desk that explained Arthur’s predicament and telling where the Scotsman would be able to find his brother, the blonde was just able slip out of the room and start down the hall nonchalantly. Keeping his hat low to shadow his face and prevent himself from being spotted as an outsider, he paused around the corner when said Scotsman had returned and headed into his room.

 

Matthew pressed himself against the wall, peeking around the corner to keep an eye on the door to the cabin and make sure that the redhead received the message. A loud curse and a door slam later, the blonde watched with a small smile on his face as Allistor rushed out of his room and back the way he had come, barking orders at the crew members on board.

 

_ That means that he must have found the letter… _

 

Quickly taking his leave from the ship a few minutes after the redhead left his cabin, so as to prevent any suspicion that the Canadian had been spying on the male, Matthew took a shortcut to the bandits’ ship and was able to board it without any problems, finding that he’d arrived before the Scotsman. Securing a spot behind some crates and barrels to hide and wait for the action to begin, the blonde had not been disappointed when the bandits’ airship had lifted off approximately thirty minutes later, and Allistor himself had come out of his own hiding spot, attempting to make his way down through the ship’s interior to where Arthur was being held captive.

 

Matthew had checked his equipment and gear before deciding to follow after the Scotsman and making sure that the male made it to his brother alright; however, that’s what ended up putting him in his current situation.

 

The blonde gripped the handle of his sword cane with one of his gloved hands, his violet eyes assessing the five men that had surrounded him. He rubbed his thumb against the blue orb at the end of the cane's handle. Matthew let out an exaggerated sigh at their stupidity and endless ranting about how  _ another _ pirate shouldn’t be on their ship.

 

Ducking down when one tried to swing at his head, Matthew stuck out his foot, swiping the man’s feet out from under him. He’d always excelled better at hand-to-hand combat than at sword fighting, but both came easily to him, so it wasn’t like there was much room for him to complain, especially considering the line of work that he dealt with.

 

It only took a few swift movements by the blonde, ducking and dodging the attempted attacks of the other males, to move behind each of them when they tried to attack him and press a series of pressure points on their necks, along with the occasional knee to the gut or groin, to cause the bandits to fall limply to the ground, unconscious. Hoping for no more hold ups, the blonde hurried through the rooms, trying to find which way that the Scotsman had gone.

 

Padding along quietly, his knee-high leather boots making no sound as he went, Matthew stumbled across a room with two unconscious men whom were badly beaten up. The Canadian rolled his eyes from behind his mask, letting out an inaudible sigh as he stepped over the bodies.

 

_ Well…at least it seems like I’m going in the right direction, eh… _

 

Tightening his grip on his sword cane as he rounded the corner, he almost quite literally ran into another small group of the bandits. A soft hiss of irritation escaping between clenched teeth, Matthew raised the end of his sword cane, delivering a sharp blow to the back of the first person’s head and knocking him out before repeating the process with the other three men before any of them had time to react. 

 

Scratching his cheek, the blonde hummed quietly.  _ So that’s eleven that are unconscious so far… That means only the captain and the pilot of the vessel are left… Hmmm… The captain should be wherever he’s keeping Captain Kirkland tied up…which will also be where Kirkland’s brother went… _ Matthew mused to himself before nodding and making his way deeper through the halls of the ship.

 

Matthew paused slightly when he passed an adjacent hallway which led to glass door that would lead to a balcony outside. The blonde spy logged that information away for later in case he needed to make a quick get-away, the metal contraption strapped to his back and hidden under his deep purple and copper coat beginning to feel lighter at the thought.

 

Slowing down, Matthew pressed himself against the wall beside the door, peeking around the corner into the room, the sounds of battle echoing from inside before going silent, save for the Scotsman and his brother speaking low voices. He couldn't make out what they were saying.

 

Violet eyes widened slightly as he assessed the situation though, taking in the way the bandits’ captain sprawled out on the floor was beginning to struggle to his feet, a fierce scowl on his face as he gripped the handle of his sword with both hands. The man was raising the sword above his head and taking a few staggering steps toward the redhead whose back was currently to the enraged bandit.

 

Before Matthew could stop himself, his feet were already moving as he dashed in between the two men, his sword cane already unsheathed to reveal the sharp steel blade that had been concealed. Matthew ignored the yells of surprise from the pair of brothers that were behind him. A strangled, gurgling cry of surprise--or perhaps it was of pain--escaped the bandit’s throat, blood dribbling from his mouth as a few ruby droplets splattered against the Canadian’s cheek. Matthew’s eyes widened, the stench of death causing his throat to constrict.

 

The bandit’s sword clattered to the ground, his eyes dulling before rolling to the back of his head. Matthew tilted his own sword down, allowing the now lifeless body to slide off from where it had been skewered through the heart to the hilt of the spy’s sword, landing with a dull thud on the floor. Swallowing back the guilt of having taken a life, the blonde flicked his sword, causing the blood to roll off the metal and on to the floor before quickly sheathing the weapon.

 

“Oi! Who the bloody hell are you?” Arthur the pirate captain spat at him, moving to collect the discarded sword while Allistor already had his own sword back in his hands.

 

Sending a fleeting glance over his shoulder at the Kirkland brothers, Matthew quickly fled from the room and toward the side hallway that he’d seen earlier, ignoring the indignant yells of protest coming behind him from the pair of pirates. Throwing the door open at the end of the hall, Matthew stepped out onto the balcony area as he heard the sound of loud, heavy footprints following swiftly behind himself.

 

Taking out one of the knives from his belt, he impaled an anonymous enveloped note against the wooden doorframe before rushing over to the railing of the balcony. Matthew gripped one of the ropes with a hand and hopped up onto the banister, turning to face the blonde and redhead that now stood in the doorway. Their faces were flushed with anger.

 

“Now wait just one bloody minute--” Arthur began, only to get cut off by Allistor, causing the captain to huff indignantly and mutter under his breath.

 

“Look, lad. You're trapped. There isn't any way off of here unless yer keen on fallin’ to yer death, or ye come with us. If ye come quietly, we'll be more lenient with ye,” Allistor stated, eyebrows furrowing together as he lowered the tip of his sword towards the ground and held out a hand to try to coax Matthew down from the balcony edge. “Come on now. Let's get ye down from there.”

 

Looking over his shoulder, Matthew spotted through the thick layer of clouds below the bandits’ airship a dim flash of violet light followed by a flash of red.  _ Looks like that’s my cue, eh? _

 

The slightest hint of a smirk spread across the Canadian’s face as he mock-bowed and gave a small two-fingered salute to the pair in front of him. Letting go of the rope he had been holding onto, he spread his arms wide and launched himself backwards off of the banister, plunging towards the earth. Staring upwards, he just barely caught a slight glimpse of blonde and red leaning over the banister, yelling words that were lost to the wind, before the clouds obscured his vision.

 

Reaching into his jacket, Matthew pressed one of the buttons that was on the harness secured around his torso, causing the mechanical wings on his back to open and slide through the slits that were in the back of coat. The wind caught under the metal wings, slowing the blonde’s descent and allowing him to glide down through the rest of clouds until the large airship that belonged to his captain came into view. The dark shape was a sharp contrast to the backdrop illuminated by twinkling city lights.

 

An airy peal of laughter escaped his lips at the rush of adrenaline that independent flight always gave him, the sound becoming lost in the rush of air as he moved through the sky. Looking down at the slightly illuminated deck near the bow of the airship (whose name he could not remember due to his captain’s tendency to constantly change around the ship’s name), a small smile spread across his face as he spotted a familiar silver-haired figure standing on the deck.

 

The figure's coat was billowing around him from the wind whipping across the ship. A spyglass was raised to his eye, locked onto Matthew's position to ensure his safe flight and landing.

 

Adjusting his flight, Matthew circled around, landing lightly on the deck in front of his captain before kneeling with a bow. Cocking his head to the side, Matthew straightened, nodding with a small smile. “The deed has been done… Captain Beilschmidt.”


	4. Five Simple Words

Allistor couldn't tell if it was shock or anger that had taken hold of his brother first. Clearly Arthur was unsteady on his feet still, but the events of the night had left a lasting impression on the pair of brothers, though likely for very different reasons.

 

He couldn't stop replaying what happened in his head from the moment that he had freed Arthur from his binds. He hadn't even noticed that the bandit captain had been struggling to his feet behind him until a masked figure had dashed past him with a sword in hand, the purple and copper of his coat swirling around the man.

 

There had been a sickening crunch as the sword had impaled the bandit captain, his own sword that he had been brandishing in an attempt to take Allistor's life clattering to the ground as the life drained out of him.

 

Allistor had seen and committed his fair share of death. It just came with the territory of being a notorious pirate fighting for his life. So it wasn't as though he had been fazed by the bandit's death. No, the first thing that he had felt after the shock of the mystery man's appearance dissipated was one of anger that his kill had gotten taken away from him.

 

At the back of his mind, Allistor knew that he shouldn't be mad because he knew that if the man hadn't swooped in when he did, then it would've been Allistor laying dead on the floor instead. He had let his guard down over his concern for his brother.

 

He remembered yelling after the figure as he began to flee into the ship, Allistor and Arthur chasing after the fleet-footed man more slowly than he wished that they could be. There was no way that he was going to let the man escape.

 

_ Why is he even on the ship in the first place? He obviously isn't one of the bandits. He's dressed like a pirate, but he isn't one of our crew. They're all on our ship… _

 

Allistor let out a growl as he breached the doorway that the man had exited, finding himself standing on a balcony on the outside of the ship. The wind was whipping furiously around them from this height, and in front of the brothers, the mystery man was standing on top of the railing and staring at them. It was almost like he was expecting them and waiting for them.

 

The man was wearing a purple and copper coat with matching boots. Purple, the color of royalty... His hat was staying on surprisingly well in spite of the wind, though the coppery plume stuck to it was bent nearly in half. The thing that struck Allistor the most was the bird-shaped mask that covered the man's face, the pair of amethyst-colored eyes that stared out at him from behind it, and the long golden blonde hair that was tied together with a ribbon.

 

Arthur was the one that had tried to make a move first, angrily swaying forward until Allistor had stopped him. He could remember moving forward with his hand outstretched in an attempt to keep the man from leaping to his death. If this man had saved them, then that must count for something, and Allistor would repay that debt.

 

Even despite Allistor's offer, the man remained silent, glancing back over his shoulder as though he was seriously still contemplating jumping. When the man looked back over at him, Allistor had the hope that he wasn't going to be doing anything stupid and actually had some common sense. But that was before the man bowed and jumped backwards off of the railing.

 

The redhead's stomach dropped like a rock as he lurched forward towards the banister, watching the man's body fall before the clouds obscured his view of the other's descent.

 

“Bloody hell…” Arthur muttered from beside him, shakily bringing up the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. His sword was still clenched in his other hand, his knuckles white. “The bastard really did it, didn't he? Why go through all that trouble if you're just going to end up killing yourself…”

 

Allistor merely shook his head wearily, unable to understand it himself.  _ There's nothing that we can do at this point though. If he's dead, he's dead. There's no coming back from a fall like that. With as high up as we are, there's likely not even going to be much left of his body on the ground… _

 

They should probably be leaving anyways, before the other occupants of the vessel awoke and the brothers had to fight their way through them all. Again. Allistor sighed, turning to head toward the door when he noticed an object sticking to the door frame.

 

Frowning, he walked over to the door, yanking the ornate knife out of the frame to grab up the envelope. Using the knife to cut it open, Allistor stated at the five simple words that were written across the paper. Five words, yet they made his stomach clench in anger.

 

“What?” Arthur asked behind him. “What is it? What are you holding--” He cut himself off as he saw the letter in Allistor's hands, his brows knitting together. “Allistor--”

 

“Let's just get off this heap of scrap. We'll deal with it later…” was all that Allistor said, his fingers tightening on the paper as he shouldered past his brother to make it to the upper deck of the vessel.

 

Now as he sat in his cabin, finally back aboard their own ship again, Allistor stared at that exact piece of paper.

 

_ Captain Beilschmidt sends his regards. _

 

A tight knot caused his chest to clench as he studied the words and the neat cursive handwriting that looped across the piece of paper. On the desk next to the note was the other piece of paper that had been left in his office prior to the whole debacle. The handwriting on both pieces of parchment were identical.

 

_ There's no way that this can just be pure coincidence. This has to have been a set up. I've heard the name of Beilschmidt before, heard rumors, but no one knows what he actually looks like. None of the stories have ever added up. Surely the man that saved-- _ No, he wasn't going to think such silly nonsense. He hadn't needed saving. He was Allistor Kirkland. He was a one man army. He didn't need anybody's help, and he certainly would've been able to handle that bandit captain.

 

_ If that man really was Beilschmidt, then that means he must've had some way to survive that jump. A notorious pirate captain wouldn't just throw his life away. It seems as though he's as slippery as they come… _

 

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, causing him to quickly shove the notes into a drawer of the desk where the dagger was also safely hidden.

 

“Aye, come in,” Allistor called, picking up his bottle of scotch and taking a deep swig. He needed it after a night like tonight.

 

Arthur's head peeked in, raising an eyebrow before silently shutting the door behind him. “I wanted to speak with you. Not as your captain, but as your brother,” he said softly, his hand nursing the bruised side of his face.

 

It caused the protective rage to flare up in Allistor's chest again, nearly making it difficult to breathe. He pushed it aside though, for Arthur's sake. He wanted to talk, so they would talk.

 

Allistor nodded his head to the seat in front of him. “And what does me wee brother want from meh?” He took another swig before setting the bottle down and propping his feet up on his desk.

 

“About the note,” Arthur stated, remaining standing despite the gesture. “I've already talked to Dylan, and he said he would try to find more on this Beilschmidt. I'm going to arrange a meeting with him.”

 

The comment made Allistor nearly choke, his eyebrows raising. “And what in the nine hells would ye do that for?” In truth though, Allistor wanted answers too, and he knew that the only way to get them would be to get them straight from the source, the man himself.

 

“You didn't hear everything that the captain had said, did you?” Arthur said, pacing with a frown. “They were being paid to transport me to someone. A buyer. It was supposed to be a secret deal. So how did this Beilschmidt know about it? How could he have known that I was being sold for a bounty? If that was him we ran into on the ship, then--”

 

Allistor nodded, following his brother's logic. “How would he have known which ship it was? And how would he have known who we were so that he didn't kill us or that we didn't get killed?” A more important question rose to Allistor's mind. “If he was the one who put the bounty, why go through the trouble just to end up helping ye escape?”

 

The British captain came to a stop, nodding with a grim expression on his face. “Exactly. And how did I get captured in the first place?” Arthur added, crossing his arms and scowling. “The last thing that I remembered before I woke up on that flying wreck was having a drink at the tavern…”

 

A heavy sigh left Allistor's lips, his shoulders heaving as he placed his feet back on the ground. Standing up, he went over and patted his brother on the back. “Don't ye worry. We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise ye that much.”


	5. Requesting an Audience

The white-haired captain tapped his fingers against his desk, rubbing his chin in thought. Matthew stood in front of the desk, quietly waiting as Gilbert processed the information that he had given him. Part of Matthew expected some type of reprimand for having his cover blown and being seen by the Kirkland brothers. However, with as long as he and Gilbert had been friends and had also been working together, Matthew knew that Gilbert would just try to make the best out of the situation.

 

Tapping his foot lightly against the floor, Matthew cleared his throat when it looked as if Gilbert had ended up zoning out and getting lost in thought. “Captain Beilschmidt… What should our next plan of action be?”

 

A wide grin spread across Gilbert’s face as he stood up, his blue and gold coat swirling around him. Walking over to Matthew, he hooked an arm around the Canadian’s neck. “C’mon, Mattie. No need to be so formal. Besides, everything is going as exactly as it should be.” Gilbert gave Matthew a strong pat on the back that almost caused him to lose his balance briefly. “Yeah, we might’ve lost the bandit captain, but he was just an expendable pawn and low-life scum. We were going to be exposing of him anyways, if the rescue attempt didn’t succeed. So you did nothing wrong by revealing yourself to them.”

 

Matthew frowned slightly, smoothing out his coat and removing his hat. His fingers delicately stroked across the coppery feather that was stuck to it. Even though he understood that killing was often a necessity, and he himself had ended up killing many men over the course of his life as a pirate and spy, it didn’t always make it any easier for Matthew.

 

“At the end of the day,” Gilbert continued, pacing around his office, “you completed your mission. You arranged the set-up. You delivered the message to Allistor. You helped make the rescue mission a success. You kept the Kirklands alive. You delivered the second message. And you kept your identity a secret.” Gilbert stopped pacing in order to stand in front of Matthew, a wide grin on his face. “I would say that that’s a pretty damn good reason to be celebrating.”

 

A sigh fell from Matthew’s lips, his shoulders slumping slightly. _Then why don’t I feel like celebrating?_

 

Opening his mouth as though he were going to object, Matthew was cut off by a sharp insistent pounding at the door.

 

Clearing his throat, Gilbert straightened his stance, crossing his arms over his chest. “ _Ja?_ Who is it?”

 

“It’s only me,” the Frenchman’s voice said, muffled behind the door.

 

Both Gilbert and Matthew let out a unified sigh of relief. “Come on in, Franny,” Gilbert said, leaning back against his desk.

 

Francis slipped inside of the room, still clad in his outfit as a bartender. The man’s clothes were slightly rumpled, his nose scrunched up in distaste. Matthew could only guess that the man had had a rough time working at the tavern, especially if the stench of alcohol that came off of him was anything to go by.

 

“Did something happen, Francis?” Matthew asked quietly, tilting his head to the side and furrowing his eyebrows with concern as the blonde merely rubbed his face and sprawled himself out in one of the chairs near Gilbert’s desk. “That bad, eh?”

 

“Well, _something_ happened…” Francis murmured, tilting his head back with a frown. “There was someone who ended up coming into the tavern, some sort of musician who was looking for a gig. He was a handsome sort, with wavy brown hair and bushy eyebrows. He had a dragon and a crown of roses embroidered onto his jacket… But anyways, I told him that the tavern was booked for the night but that I would let him know when there would be any openings available for being able to play. The man seemed accepting of that, but then he started asking questions…” Francis trailed off, taking the glass of wine that Gilbert passed to the man. “ _Merci._ ” Taking a deep drink, he continued, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “He started talking about rumors that he had heard about a Captain Beilschmidt, asking if any of them were true and what the best way to arrange a meeting with the captain would be, if it were even possible.”

 

“And? What did you tell him?” Gilbert asked, puffing his chest out with a sense of pride at the thought that somebody was looking for him. Matthew just hoped that his pride wouldn't end up going to his head.

 

“I told him that I didn’t know. After all, that’s why rumors are rumors. However, if he had a message that he wished to pass on, then I was sure that I could end up finding some way to get it to someone that possibly knew the Good Captain. He said he didn't have a message to pass on, just that his brother wished to arrange a business meeting.” Francis shrugged, swirling the remainder of wine in his glass before gulping it down and putting the glass on Gilbert's desk. “By that time, a fight started to break out in the tavern and the man decided to leave. He didn't even say what his name was,” Francis sighed, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead. “Woe is my heart. It cannot bear to be separated from him.”

 

Gilbert burst out into laughter while Matthew merely sighed and shook his head. “Did he say anything about where his brother would have wanted to meet Gilbert?” Matthew asked, running his fingers back through his hair and fiddling with the ribbon that tied the long locks together. “It could end up being a trap…” He turned to Gilbert, a frown pulling at his lips.

 

Francis merely sighed, picking up the entire bottle of wine from Gilbert's desk and taking a drink straight from the bottle. “ _Oui_ , it very well could end up being a trap,” the Frenchman said with a sigh after placing the bottle down. “There's so many people that would kill for a chance to take out Gilbert or find out his true identity…” Pulling his hair out of its bun, Francis shook his curls free, propping his feet on the edge of the desk. “He mentioned something about meeting at one of the airship docks down near the Thames. I'm not sure which one, but it shouldn't be that difficult to find.”

 

Gilbert let out a laugh, shaking his head. “They think that they can so easily trap me? We're not idiots. Even a monkey would be able to tell that it's some sort of trap…” When his laughter died down though, a more serious expression crossed his face. “I do want to know who this man is though, and why he's seeking me out… We could always use a good ally, if that's his intentions. If not…” Gilbert drew his finger across his neck.

 

“I can always go,” Matthew spoke up, folding his hands behind his back. “I can always at least scout out the area and make sure that it isn't a trap, and to find out who it is that's requesting an audience with you.” Information was important after all, and if he could figure that out--

 

“And if you get captured, dearest Matthew?” Francis spoke up, swirling the bottle of wine and listening to the sloshing sound of alcohol within it. Bright blue eyes stared up at the Canadian. “What would happen then?”

 

Matthew hesitated for a moment, but it was only a moment before he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “If I got captured, I could escape, or at the very least, send a message for help. I won’t be captured so easily. Especially by simple bandits.”

 

Gilbert sighed, walking over to the window behind his desk and pulling aside the curtains to look out at the city below the skyship dock. “I don’t like the idea of you going out there alone, Mattie. But if it’s what you want to do, I understand.”

 

A weight seemed to lift itself from Matthew’s shoulders and he felt as though he could breathe a little easier. Gilbert didn’t doubt his abilities. In fact, working with Gilbert had always given Matthew more freedom than he had ever been allowed during his entire life, and Gilbert had always ended up treating Matthew as an equal. Someone who was skilled and could take care of himself.

 

“I just want you to be careful and to come back in one piece. We don’t need anymore casualties of our crew,” Gilbert stated, leaning his back against the window and staring at Matthew with one of his rare serious expressions.

 

“Don’t worry, Gil,” Matthew murmured, his voice gentle and a reassuring smile on his face. “I’m always careful.”


	6. In This Polluted World

Night had long since fallen as Allistor and Dylan were waiting for Captain Beilschmidt to show up at the docks. Despite the tension in the air caused by their mission, the gentle lapping of the river upon its banks helped to soothe Allistor’s nerves.

 

This close to the edge of the city, there was less smog and pollution and noise. It was more peaceful than the inner city, and Allistor much preferred it that way. Away from all of the smoke and metal, steel and iron. He had always felt more at home near the water and forests, more connected to the land and being able to feel Her pain as the humans defiled and desecrated and destroyed the Earth.

 

It was at the edges of this wilderness that the few hardy faeries thrived. The ones that were left at least. The brothers had always heard stories about the Fair Folk that had been passed down from their grandparents and beyond of the days before the world became so industrialized and mechanical. Days where the fae were abundant and the land was always green and fertile.

 

Allistor’s thumb rubbed absentmindedly at the earring that pierced his right ear. A protection charm that his mother had given to him when he was younger in order to help ward off the nastier of the fae. He wondered just how many people still believed in the Other Folk in this polluted world.

 

Beside him, Dylan lightly strummed on his guitar as he leaned against one of the posts, brown hair glistening slightly in the dim moonlight. (His own hair was obscured by the hood of the cloak that he was wearing. Such a bright and recognizable shade of red hair was sure to either bring unwanted attention or scare off their query.) While he looked relaxed, Allistor knew that his brother was remaining ever vigilant with his eyes scanning the surroundings for any movement.

 

The familiar itch of impatience began to tug at the back of the redhead's mind, his fingers twitching as he crossed his arms over his chest more firmly. “Oi, Dylan?”

 

“Hmm?” Dylan blinked over at his brother with a tilt of his head. Or maybe he wasn't being so vigilant after all. “Wot is it?”

 

“Are ye even sure that Beilschmidt is going to show up? How do ye even know that he got the message about a meeting?” For all they knew, they could just be waiting around for a ghost, someone who wasn't going to even show up.

 

“Ahhh, relax, brother. I'm sure he'll show up, just as sure as I can feel the music in me bones.”

 

That didn't make Allistor feel secure at all. Suppressing a groan, he leaned his head back against the tall wooden pillar, gazing up at the sky. His heart leaped in his chest, blinking his eyes several times. For a brief second, he could have sworn there had been a shadow moving across the sky. There was nothing there but the normal twinkling starlight.

 

_This stress must be making me paranoid. I feel like I'm hallucinating, expecting that pirate captain to show up any second now. We've been out here for hours. If he was going to show up, wouldn't he have done it by now? I don't know anymore…_

 

The sound of a throat clearing next to him pulled him out of his thoughts. “Alli? I think we have company…” his brother mumbled beneath his breath.

 

It took all of Allistor's restraint to keep from immediately reaching for his sword as he noticed the hooded figure at the end of the pier. There wasn't much that the Scotsman could make out about the figure. The main features that stood out to him were the plague doctor mask that covered their face, the cloak of copper feathers that was draped around their shoulders, they walked without making a single sound, and they didn't have any weapons on them. Or perhaps it was just none that he could see.

 

The figure kept walking slowly towards the brothers, coming to a halt a good fifteen feet away. “Are you the ones that requested the summons?” Allistor noted the way that the voice was muffled and distorted by the mask. It made it difficult to distinguish if the voice was coming from a man or woman, and the other's outfit wasn't revealing any hints either.

 

“Aye, we are,” Dylan spoke, his fingers still delicately fiddling with the strings of his guitar. “Our brother was quite insistent on us getting an audience with you after he received a certain note, Mr. Beilschmidt. It appears you were somehow involved with his rescue after his abduction.”

 

The figure in front of them remained quiet, merely tilting his head owlishly. It made Allistor uncomfortable not being able to see the man's face to know what to expect his next move to be or if he was going to try to attack them. It made Allistor wonder if this was even the man that they were after. Surely it had to be.

 

“And what is it that you wish from me?” the figure slowly spoke, turning their attention towards Allistor.

 

It made Allistor’s mind flash back to the skyship the previous night: the way that the masked figure had stood on the railing, the intensity of the other’s violet gaze, the mocking bow before the man jumped off to his certain death. The man in front of him now looked like Death himself.

 

Allistor wouldn’t necessarily call himself superstitious, but as someone who had grown up being able to see faeries and other things that went bump in the night, it was hard not to feel as though this man wasn’t quite human. Perhaps that’s how all of the rumors of the captain had spread.

 

“We merely wish to take you with us for ye to meet with and talk to our dear brother. To talk to Arthur,” Dylan stated matter-of-factly. It made Allistor raise an eyebrow and shoot him an incredulous look. How could he be so calm and nonchalant about this?

 

“...I see… And why should I?”

 

The question made Dylan blink in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to get out an answer. “B-Because you have information that he needs! And because you helped him get rescued from those bandits! Certainly you can see _why_ he wants to be able to talk to you?”

 

A frown tugged at Allistor’s lips as he glanced back at the man who stood there in stony silence, staring. Something felt wrong. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right with the situation. _What in the hell is he waiting for? Is he stalling for something? But what could he even be stalling for?_

 

Dylan moved to take a step forward toward the man, but Allistor put his arm out, restraining his brother.

 

“I see why he wants to...but it’s none of his concern, and I didn’t come here just to end up fulfilling the fanciful demands of a child. You’ve wasted my time,” the man said with a flourish of his hand.

 

Before Allistor could understand what was happening, two loud explosions came from the sky. The sound of cannon fire, the light illuminating the area. His gaze jerked back to the masked figure in time to see him throw a round object on the ground that quickly shattered, releasing a thick smoke that quickly filled the area. Allistor quickly covered his mouth and nose with one hand, his other yanking his sword out of his scabbard as he charged forward.

 

He wasn’t going to let the man slip away that easily. However, by the time that the smoke had managed to clear, Allistor was barely able to spot the figure running off in the distance and heading towards the crossroads.

 

WIthout looking to see if Dylan was following after him, Allistor charged after the man. _All this running is starting to get tedious. I’m going to have to get lighter boots at this rate if this becomes a regular thing…_

 

The figure seemed to hesitate at the crossroads, one path leading towards the city while the other headed towards a thick copse of trees. A smile split across Allistor’s face when he chose the path that led to the woods. That would end up being a mistake.

 

Sheathing his sword, Allistor picked up his pace with renewed fervor, dodging around the trees that soon surrounded him. _I let ye get away from me once, little bird, but I’m not going to let that happen again._ Despite all of the redhead’s best efforts to catch up to him though, the man stayed just out of reach at the edges of Allistor’s field of vision.

 

A loud crack echoed through the area. Allistor’s pace faltered and slowed almost to a stop. His eyes widened at the sight that was in front of him: one of the branches of a nearby tree had suddenly come to life and moved on its own accord, hitting the other man on the back of the head. He laid sprawled out on the ground, face first and not moving except for his breathing.

 

Looking closer at the tree, Allistor could make out the form of a female dryad who waved at him with a smile before melting back into the bark of the tree.

  
Rubbing his face tiredly, he slowly stepped over to the unconscious man, nudging the body over onto its back with his boot. _At least the lass didn’t end up killing the lad. It’ll probably be awhile before he manages to wake up though. All the better for me to get him back to the ship…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celosia here! I just wanted to thank everybody for their support for this growing fic. I really appreciate it, and all of your kudos and comments mean a lot! I hope everyone continues to enjoy the fanfic, and if there's any characters that you want to see added to the story, I'll do my best to incorporate them! Thanks again!


	7. Veni Vidi Amavi

A groan left Matthew’s lips as he struggled to open his eyes against the pain that was still blossoming through the back of his head. It honestly felt like someone had ended up hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer, and it was not a pleasant experience at all. His body felt heavy and his wrists felt simultaneously as if they were numb and burning.

 

Wrinkling his nose, Matthew blearily forced one eye open to peer around the dim room that he found himself in. Metal bars lined one half of the room and a small bare cot was in one corner while a waste bucket was on the other side.  _ No wonder what that stench was… _

 

Glancing up despite the protest in his body against moving his head, he saw that his hands were bound in manacles to one of the pipes that ran overhead. It briefly clicked in Matthew's mind that he was in some sort of prison and that he was also missing the weight of his mask and cloak (and several of the weapons that he had kept hidden on him) before a voice spoke up from outside the cell.

 

“Ye know… Ye were a pain in my arse to drag back here after ye tried to run off like that… Yer lucky that me brother wanted ye alive, Mr. Beilschmidt, otherwise I would've slit yer throat and been done with ye,” the Scotsman drawled as he leaned against the wall outside the cell. The scent of cigar smoke drifted towards Matthew.

 

“And I'm pretty sure that smoking inside is a safety hazard,” Matthew muttered dryly, shifting his arms uncomfortably against his restraints. He would've rolled his eyes, but his head was protesting any form of movement at the moment. Plus he doubted that sarcasm would put his captors in any better or more lenient of a mood.

 

There was a pause. Boots clinked on the floor as the steps came closer, followed by a metallic grating as the cell door was unlocked and opened.

 

The hand that grasped Matthew's chin surprised him, both because it was unexpected and because of how gentle the other's grip was as Matthew's head was turned down to meet Allistor's gaze. “Ye know, ye weren't what I was expecting, Beilschmidt. For all of the rumors and stories about such a  _ notorious _ pirate captain that seemed to rise to prominence nearly overnight…”

 

Matthew bit his lip as his head was turned from side to side, as though he were being inspected like a piece of merchandise. It took all of Matthew's self-control to bite his tongue and keep from snapping out a snide comment. “That's the point of rumors,” he simply said instead, staring into the emerald green eyes that were mere centimeters away from him.

 

Allistor eventually sighed, dropping his hand from Matthew’s chin and taking a few steps back, just out of range so that Matthew wouldn’t have been able to get a good kick at him even if he wanted to. “Fair point…”

 

Footsteps echoed down the hallway towards the cell, causing Matthew to tilt his head to get a better look at the two figures that were approaching at their own leisurely pace.

 

A sneer pulled at Matthew’s lips. “Captain Kirkland, I’d say that it’s a pleasure to see you again, but your hospitality is lacking.” Despite his bravado, worry ate away at Matthew’s gut.  _ Three against one… That’s not exactly a fair fight. Not that I haven’t been in more outnumbered situations but I’m a little tied up right now… Plus these men are likely far more experienced than any common thug or bandits that Gil’s set me up against… _

 

“Yes, well…” Arthur stepped in front of Matthew, pain suddenly blossoming against the blonde’s cheek.

 

Matthew shook his head, white spots dancing across his vision. If he wasn’t being supported by the beam overhead, he would have fallen over from the force of the blow. “Wow, rude.”

 

“Refusing a summons is rather  _ rude _ of you, even for a pirate. Certainly you must have more  _ manners _ than that,” Arthur stated, rubbing his wrist and his green eyes cold with disdain.

 

Matthew stiffened when Arthur's hand moved to rest on the hilt of his sword that was hanging at his waist. Whether it was meant simply as a means of intimidation or an actual threat, he wasn't certain, but based off of the slap that he just received, Matthew knew that Arthur was pissed off about something.  _ Can't say that Arthur doesn't deserve it though… _

 

“Ahh? Nothing to say now?” Arthur sneered, walking circles slowly around Matthew and looking him over. “Oh how far the mighty have fallen now that the tables have turned… Oh how the odds are ever in my favor, wouldn't you agree?” Arthur's fingers skimmed against the fabric of Matthew's shirt, making a shudder run down the man's back before he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and yanked forward. “What the bloody hell do you want from me? What was the point of what happened yesterday on the bandit's ship?”

 

Matthew wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell of the alcohol on Arthur's breath. This close to the pirate captain, however, Matthew could see it: the dark circles under his eyes caused by a sleepless night, alcohol used to calm the nerves of an anxious man. Suddenly, Matthew leaned forward until his nose almost brushed against Arthur's, a sneer stretching across his lips. “Is that  _ fear _ I smell, captain?”

 

The comment caused an instantaneous reaction, both Allistor and Dylan lunging forward to both grasp one of Arthur's arms in an effort to restrain their brother who held a knife in his hand. It was at that moment that Matthew realized that the two older brothers weren't there to hurt Matthew or to cause him harm; they were there to make sure that Arthur didn't do anything stupid. Despite the situation that Matthew found himself in, he couldn't help but to smile at the fact. He would be safe...for now.

 

“That's enough, Arthur…” Dylan muttered in a low voice, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Don't be stupid. We went through a lot of trouble to get him here  _ alive _ .”

 

It wasn't the brunette or the blonde who held Matthew's attention though. Despite all of Arthur's struggling, Allistor's gaze had remained intently focused on Matthew. It looked like the redhead wanted to say something to him, or at the very least he was deep in thought. About what, Matthew couldn't even begin to fathom, but it was slightly unnerving the way that those green eyes seemed to stare right through his soul.

 

“Enough!” Arthur exclaimed, brushing his brother's hold off of him, seeming to have finally composed himself after Matthew's comment. “Beilschmidt, I will ask this only once more. What was the point of yesterday? Why did you help rescue me off of the bandit's ship?”

 

Matthew's lips pressed into a thin line as he rotated his shoulders and shifted his stance slightly in order to gain some relief from the uncomfortable position he had been standing in for gods knew how long. The message that Gilbert had wanted him to pass on to the captain echoed in his head. How Gilbert had known that it would've been Arthur's men that were requesting the audience was a sheer stroke of luck, but that always seemed to be the case with Gilbert's plans. Especially when he wanted something as much as he wanted Arthur.

 

“ _ Veni vidi amavi _ ,” Matthew murmured, falling silent as he dropped his gaze to his feet. A deep flush had risen to his cheeks.

 

“I beg your pardon?” Arthur coughed out. “Speak English.”

 

His lips pressed into a thin line as his eyes slid closed.  _ No. This already feels ridiculous enough as it is. Me, having to deliver a love confession to someone who thinks I'm Gilbert… Why did I let myself get roped into this? I was only supposed to check and make sure that it wasn't a trap. I wasn't supposed to end up getting captured like this… _ Now that Matthew thought about it though, how did he manage to get captured in the first place?

 

“Answer me, dammit!”

 

“Arthur, that's enough.” It was Allistor that spoke, his voice stern. “The lad isn't going to talk anymore… There's no need to push it.”

 

A growl escaped Arthur's lips as he spun on his heel and stalked out of the cell, yelling over his shoulder. “Then leave him to rot until he talks!”

 

Silence fell over the remaining three men in the cell until Dylan finally sighed. “He'll be better after the alcohol wears off. He usually gets like this after he drinks too much,” he murmured to Matthew in explanation, silently leaving the room without another word. He was likely going after his younger brother to make sure Arthur didn't do anything else stupid or rash.

 

Which left Matthew alone with Allistor. The silence dragged on for several uncomfortable moments, Allistor's nails tapping against the metal bars of the cell. “So ye love him, do ye?”

 

The words caused Matthew to flinch, his gaze jerking up to where Allistor was standing.

 

“Are those yer words? ...Or are they somebody else's?” He glanced up at Matthew with a raised eyebrow.

 

Matthew's heart leaped in his chest, his throat feeling as though it were constricting. He suddenly found it hard to breathe as Allistor stepped forward deliberately slow until he stood toe-to-toe with Matthew, their gazes level with one another.

 

“I don't think that yer really Beilschmidt,” Allistor said softly, reaching his hands up to brace them on the pipe above their heads and lean closer to Matthew's face. It made Matthew's’ breath stutter in his chest. “And even if ye were, I couldn't let me brother have ye.”

 

“P-Pardon?” Matthew stuttered out. He desperately wanted to be able to back away, to step back as Allistor brought a hand down to gently rub his thumb against the cheek that Arthur had slapped. There was just nowhere that he  _ could _ go. His heart was hammering at the walls of his chest, and he could swear that Allistor would be able to hear it from this close.

 

“Ye've made me chase after ye an awful lot, wee birdie. I'd prefer it if I didn't have to chase ye anymore,” the redheaded pirate murmured, his hand stilling against Matthew's cheek. “I owe ye my life, and I will not let that debt go unpaid…”

 

Matthew's eyes squeezed shut as he felt Allistor leaning in closer, the other's breath billowing hot against his face.

 

That was when the cannonfire and shouting echoed from above deck, causing the pair to flinch and jerk their heads toward the ceiling.

 

Letting out a stream of curses, Allistor yanked himself away from Matthew and stormed out of the cell. Matthew listened to the distinguishable heavy footfalls of the Scotsman clanking off down the hallway before he let out a shaky sigh of relief. His knees felt weak and he desperately wished that he could sit on the floor.

 

Tilting his head back, Matthew stared at the ceiling once more.  _ Please, please let that be Gilbert coming to rescue me. I don't think I'll be able to survive here for much longer. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Celosia here! I just wanted to thank everyone who commented and liked the story on the last update! I definitely wasn't expecting so many people to like the fic overnight!
> 
> It was definitely a surprise, but definitely a big motivator to work on this story! I wasn't expecting to be able to update the fic two days in a row, but this chapter seemed to just write itself!
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys the story! And again, don't forget to comment on which characters you guys would like to see added to the fanfic and I'll do my nest to incorporate them into the story! Thanks again!


	8. Don't Kiss and Tell

To say that Allistor was upset was an understatement. It seemed like every time that he tried to approach this Beilschmidt there always ended up being _something_ that came up, _something_ that prevented him from getting close to the man. Either the man ran away, or now, for the second time, there was unexpected cannonfire.

 

_Aye, Fate, ye be a cruel mistress to keep a man from following his heart…_

 

Growling under his breath as he stomped down the halls, Allistor grabbed the nearest person's arm, pulling him to the side. “What in the nine bloody Hells is going on here, Liam?”

 

His youngest brother crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks. It seemed that the young teen was in about as foul of a mood as Allistor was. “I don’t fucking know! Arthur, Dylan, and Niamh all sent me away and told me to go to my room until it was safe! They said something about there being a big pirate skyship outside that’s trying to flag us down. Or something…” the teen mumbled, running a frustrated hand through his auburn locks.

 

_Of course… A rescue attempt for the Good Captain Beilschmidt… We should’ve expected that…_

 

As much as he wanted to just rush off and help his other siblings, it seemed that he had something else to take care of first with the baby of the family. Allistor rubbed a hand tiredly across his face before staring down the fourteen year old. “And were ye _actually_ going to be listening to ‘em?”

 

The question made Liam freeze in place, and Allistor knew that he had caught the boy about to do something that he wasn’t supposed to be doing.

 

Groaning, Allistor knelt down. “Look, Liam, I know that ye want to help, but we’re just trying to protect ye. These pirates… They’re after their captain that Dylan and I kidnapped earlier. Ye remember the man that we brought in?”

 

“But Alli! I can _help_! That’s why I’ve been practicing my sword fighting so much!” Liam said indignantly, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He likely would’ve ended up stomping his foot too if it hadn’t been Allistor that he had been speaking to. “I’m not a baby, and I’m not useless! I can protect myself and I can help protect you guys too! It’s not fair…”

 

An echo of cannons firing shook the entire ship, causing Allistor and Liam to nearly lose their balance. “I know ye can, Liam. And ye aren’t useless. But we just don’t want ye to get killed! There’s no telling what these men might do to ye if they got their hands on ye.”

 

There was another round of shots, followed by the clanging echo of steel on steel.

 

Liam took a breath, looking up at Allistor as though he might say something, but his shoulders merely sagged in defeat. “I just want to help… I don’t want any of _you_ to get yerselves killed either…” He wrapped his arms around himself, looking off down the hallway and looking suddenly very much younger than he actually was.

 

It took all of Allistor's self-control to not simply scoop up his brother in his arms as he had so many times in the past and coddle him and tell him that everything would be alright. “I know, Liam. That's why I promise that we'll do even more training after this all blows over, that way ye will be ready to help fight the next time that we need ye. But for now,” Allistor paused, ruffling Liam's hair, “just do what our siblings told ye to do?”

 

A sigh fell from Liam's lips as he sullenly nodded his head. “Fine…”

 

“That's a good lad,” Allistor murmured, giving his brother one of the rare smiles that he reserved solely for his siblings. “Now, run along. I’ve some pirate arse to kick.” He waited as Liam hesitated for a few seconds more, waiting to make sure that his brother had ended up going off into the direction of his room before Allistor hurried off in the direction of what sounded like a battle going on above-deck.

 

His mind was a whirl of thoughts, all of which involved the man that he had captured. It seemed as though that was beginning to be a growing pattern. Ever since the night that the pirate had saved Allistor’s life from the honorless bandit. Allistor and his brothers and sister may be pirates, but even they had a code of honor and conduct that they followed, and trying to stab someone while their back was turned was certainly not on that list.

 

Part of Allistor still wondered why the dryad had ended up helping him to capture the man. All that she had said when he had asked was that he was special and that Allistor needed to keep him safe. Kneeling down next to the unconscious man, part of him had hesitated with his hand on the other’s mask, and he wasn’t sure why. It surely couldn’t have been fear. Perhaps it was merely the build-up of suspense in his mind about Beilschmidt’s identity, and there was a part of him felt wrong for dispelling all of the carefully crafted mystery and rumors that surrounded the man.

 

When Allistor did remove the pirate’s mask though, he had felt as though his heart had briefly stopped. Normally he wasn’t one for sentimentality or mushy emotions, but the man that lay before him was beautiful. Silky, golden hair and fair skin that looked almost white against the raven blackness of his cloak that was sprawled about his figure. There was something else though. Something that Allistor couldn’t quite place that seemed to tickle the back of his mind. Something... _Other_. Maybe it was just the residue of the dryad's presence that made him feel that way.

 

Ducking behind the door that led to the deck, Allistor pressed himself against the wall and peered out, straining to make out what was being said above the shouting and cheering of the men on deck. From where he was standing though, he could see Arthur with Dylan and Niamh standing on either side behind him.

 

In front of them stood two men. The first had long blonde hair and was adorned in baby blue and gold with a golden feather on his hat. A rapier was hanging from his hip. He exuded an air of elegance and charisma. The second man was dressed in a darker navy blue with red accents and silver, a silver feather matching the color of his shaggy hair. A longsword was strapped to his back. He seemed to ooze with confidence and brute strength.

 

“What do you want? You're trespassing on my ship!” he heard Arthur yell. “If you do not leave on your own volition, then we will remove you by force!”

 

The silver-haired man threw back his head and laughed, wiping his eyes when he was done. “You have someone that belongs to us, and you _will_ give him back. We're not leaving until you do.”

 

_So it is a rescue mission… Beilschmidt has loyal men, and they must think highly of him to mount such an attempt instead of fighting amongst themselves for the position of captain._

 

“What? You want your captain back, is it? Is that really all you want?” Arthur asked, his tone rising with incredulity and frustration. “You shoot and board my ship and injure my men, all for the sake of getting back your captain while we’re in the middle of negotiations?”

 

The blonde-haired man stepped forward, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder and jutting his chin out. His accent was decidedly French when he spoke. “And if you were truly in the middle of negotiations, then you wouldn't have any objections to us being rejoined with our captain, would you?”

 

Allistor swore under his breath. They certainly did a quick job of catching Arthur in his lie. _It's not as though Arthur is exactly in his best state of mind right now, with how things were a few moments ago below deck. The stress and frustration is making him careless. Though, with these being Beilschmidt's men, there's no telling what skills they have. They're not common ruffians…_

 

There was a brief pause, Arthur’s hand moving to rest lightly on the hilt of his sword. “What is being discussed between your captain and I is for our ears only. You are not _privy_ to that information.”

 

“Is that so…?” the silver-haired man spoke softly, rubbing his chin and staring at Arthur with an expression reminiscent of a cat who had gotten in the cream. A dramatic sigh fell from his lips as he leaned heavily upon his golden-haired companion. “Alas, a cruel man ye be, Arthur Kirkland, denying a man access to his heart…”

 

Squinting in confusion as the conversation began to be too faint to hear, Allistor was about to step forward and make his way out onto the deck before a scream resonated from within the ship, only to be cut off prematurely.

 

_Liam--!_

 

An instantaneous feeling of dread filled Allistor’s gut, his feet moving on their own accord towards the prison cells. Surely his brother wouldn’t have been rash enough to try to see the prisoner without someone with him. _Surely_ his brother would’ve actually listened to his older siblings for once…

 

Allistor skidded to a halt at the open cell door, his blood rushing in his ears as a realization struck him. _I didn’t close the fucking door! I ran off without closing the door! God dammit, Allistor, ye complete bloody moron!_ And the worst part of it was that the supposed Captain Beilschmidt was nowhere to be found. The pipe on the ceiling that the man had been bound to was bent and busted at the seam where it had been originally welded together.

 

“Ye had _one job_ , Allistor, and ye fucking blew it,” he mumbled under his breath, his heart pounding with every footstep as he ran through the ship towards the section that was reserved for his family. He could only hope and pray that Liam was safely locked away in his room, but part of Allistor already knew that it was too much to ask for.

 

Turning sharply down the next hall, his steps sped up as the sound of a raised voice came from his office.

 

“Put yer hands up!” Liam yelled. “If ye don't put yer hands up, I-I'll stab ye. I swear I will!”

 

“Kid, please… There's no need for you to do this. Put the sword down… I don't want to have to hurt you…” the voice pleaded quietly.

 

“Don't lie to me! Yer the bad guy! That's why ye were locked up! If I tell me brothers-- Urk!”

 

Allistor slammed open the door to see the escaped pirate captain slam his hand against the back of Liam's neck. His brother faltered forward a few steps toward the man, the sword slipping from his hand before he collapsed across the blonde's outstretched arm.

 

“What did ye do to him?” Allistor demanded, his grip so tight on the hilt of his sword that it almost felt like the metal was cutting into his skin.

 

Pain-dulled violet eyes stared across the room at Allistor. It was only then that he noticed the way that Beilschmidt's free arm was hanging limply at his side, a bleeding scratch on his cheek and several small patches of red blossoming across the fabric of his shirt.

 

“I only knocked him unconscious so that I wouldn't be stabbed to death,” the man murmured, awkwardly carrying Liam over to Allistor and holding him out to him. “No harm was meant.”

 

Allistor wasted no time in closing and locking the door behind him, scooping his brother up in his arms as Beilschmidt retreated to the other side of the office.

 

“What are ye doing in here? In _my_ office?” Allistor questioned, eyes narrowing as he placed Liam off to the side. If the man hadn't hurt Liam by now, somehow Allistor knew that he wouldn't. All it seemed that the blonde wanted to do was escape, but then why would he be skulking around in Allistor’s office?

 

The blonde was quiet for a few moments, taking a step back for each step forward that Allistor took until Allistor had the man trapped with his arms braced on either side of him on the wall. “I was trying to leave…” he said slowly with a nod of his head.

 

Allistor stared at the man incredulously, raising an eyebrow when it seemed like there was more he had to say.

 

“...but you have things that belong to me that I really would prefer if I had them back…” the man finished quietly, shifting uncomfortably against the wall. His lips were set into a grimace, and Allistor had to reel in the urge to wipe away the blood that was oozing down the man's cheek.

 

His brothers certainly had been giving him a rough time, between Arthur and Liam's antics. Out of everyone though, Allistor was sure that he was the only one that had caught onto the truth.

 

Leaning in until their lips were mere centimeters apart, Allistor whispered, “...Yer not really Beilschmidt, are ye?”

 

The man's hand quickly came up, his fingers pressing firmly against Allistor's lips to prevent him from moving any closer. Much to the redhead's dismay. “I don't kiss and tell, Mr. Kirkland…” he murmured stiffly, but from the way that the man's face flushed and he didn't say anything to dispute Allistor's comment, Allistor knew that he was right.

 

“So which one of yer friends up there is the real Beilschmidt, eh?” Allistor asked, gripping the man's wrist and raising an eyebrow when the other froze in place with wide eyes. It only just cemented Allistor's belief. “Whether yer him or not though, I can't just let ye escape.” Reluctantly though, he let out a quiet sigh, pulling away just enough to straighten his posture. “As I said before though… I do owe ye my life, so I'd be willing to turn a blind eye this once. Besides, I'm sure this won't be the last time that I'll be seeing ye, especially if me brother has anything to say on the matter.”

 

The blonde raised an eyebrow before squinting up at Allistor. “You're...letting me go…” He seemed to mull over that fact for several moments before he eventually sighed, a tired smile pulling at his lips. “And no, this will be far from the last time… Don't let that make you think I'll make it easy for you to try to capture me again though.”

 

A wide smile spread across Allistor's face at those words. “Nay, I would never dream of it.” Backing away, he went to over to his wardrobe, pulling out the cloak and mask along with the mysterious mechanical pack that he hadn't been able to uncover the purpose of. Holding them out towards the man, he saw the way that he hesitated and Allistor's smile turned into a sly smirk. “I'll be holding onto the weapons for the time being. Gives ye more incentive to come back for them, aye?”

 

Puffing out his cheeks, the man shook his head, his hair falling into his face, but for a second, Allistor could've sworn that he had seen him smile. “You are absolutely ridiculous,” he murmured, shrugging the harness of the mechanical pack across one of his shoulders. That was when Allistor noticed that he still hadn't moved his left arm. “It's dislocated,” the blonde stated as he continued to struggle with the straps.

 

Clearing his throat, Allistor placed the other objects on his desk, holding his hands out in a non-threatening gesture. “Let me help.”

 

“And if I said no?”

 

The question caught Allistor off-guard but he merely shook his head and jerked his thumb towards the door. “Then ye better hope that ye can get finished by the time yer friends can't keep my siblings distracted any longer.”

 

He opened his mouth as if to protest, but he merely grimaced, turning his head away and bracing his good arm against the wall. “Fine. But if you stab me in the back…”

 

“I won't,” Allistor murmured with a gentleness that surprised even himself as he stepped forward, placing one hand on the man's shoulder and the other gripping his upper arm. “Ready?” Leaning in, Allistor pressed a lingering kiss to the back of the man's neck before yanking his arm back into its socket with a loud crack.

 

To his credit, the man didn't make a sound, simply rolling his shoulder gingerly before finishing strapping on the mechanical device and slipping the feathered cloak on over it.

 

“Allistor!”

 

The Scotsman glanced back over his shoulder at the door as the sound of footsteps rapidly approached, the sound of his name being called out by his brother. He turned his attention back to the man in front of him who was eyeing him warily, as though he wasn't sure if their fragile agreement would be kept.

 

As the blonde grabbed the plague doctor mask from the table, Allistor shook his head and opened up one of the large windows in the room. He could see the other ship hovering nearby, the name _Old Fritz_ engraved on the side. “Hurry,” he hissed under his breath, gesturing to the man just as someone began pounding on the door.

 

Hopping up onto the edge of the window, the man looked as though he were about to jump before Allistor grabbed his arm. “Wait-- When will I see you again?”

 

“Soon,” he replied before pausing, a smile stretching across his face. “Even sooner if you head to La Coruña.”

 

Allistor raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, the blonde had already jumped out the window. For several moments, it felt as though Allistor's heart was motionless in his chest. Then a pair of metal wings suddenly extended themselves from the other's back, allowing him to glide effortlessly to the awaiting skyship and climb up the ropes until he was out of view. _Clockwork wings…_

 

He barely heard the door open and his brothers and sister charge into the room. It wasn't until Niamh slapped him across the back of his head that he finally came out of his daze, her scowl as fiery as her ginger hair as she glared up at him. “Oi! Why the bloody fuck weren't ye answering yer own goddamn door, Allistor!? Why're ye locked in here in the first place? Where's _Liam_ , for Christ's sake? And where's the focking prisoner? Dylan went to go check on 'im because of our _guests_ wanting to be assured that he was okay, but the cell was empty and one of the pipes was busted, and Liam wasn't in his room, and-- _Allistor, are ye even listening to me?_ ”

 

“The prisoner escaped,” Allistor stated with a sigh, staring at the open window for several lingering moments longer before turning to stare down at his sister. “When I got in here, Liam was unconscious on the floor and Beilschmidt had already gotten most of his stuff and jumped out the window before I could stop him.”

 

“Liam will be fine,” Dylan spoke up from the other side of the room, their youngest brother's head pillowed in his lap. “He's just been knocked unconscious. Other than that, there's no wounds of any kind that I can tell.”

 

A sullen silence fell among the siblings, broken only by the sound of the wind whistling past the open window. That was when Allistor noticed the distinct absence of one specific person.

 

“Where's Arthur?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back with another update! I really hope that everyone enjoys it, because the suspense is only going to keep growing from here, along with even more new characters being introduced!  
> I hope everyone enjoys, and I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to comment on the story so far. I really appreciate it, and don't forget to subscribe to stay informed on when the next update is released!


	9. A Captive Audience

_ This...feels like deja vu… _

 

Arthur growled under his breath as he tugged his wrist against the manacles that bound him to the chair that he was currently sitting in, glaring daggers across the desk to the white-haired man that was sitting behind it with a big childish grin on his face as though he thought he had done something clever. Which, if Arthur were in a better mood, he would’ve had to admit that setting up the entire scenario to be able to take Arthur captive right in front of his siblings and crew was indeed something that could be deemed as clever.

 

“You'll pay for this, you bastard. My brothers and sister will come after me. You know they will! And when they get ahold of you, there won't be enough left for the crows to even make a meal of,” Arthur spat out. What he wouldn't give to wipe that smirk off the other man's face? “We still have your captain, you know!”

 

A laugh bubbled up to Arthur's lips.  _ That's right! We still have Beilschmidt locked up in our ship. There's no way this man would dare to do anything to harm me knowing that his own captain could be in danger for it! _

 

The man's growing smile didn't ease the sudden feeling of anxiety that bubbled up in Arthur's gut. Leaning forward on his elbows, he said simply, “Are you so sure about that?”

 

Opening his mouth to respond, Arthur found himself unable to because there was that tiny voice of doubt in the back of his mind that told him that he was wrong. Instead, he asked, “Why did you bring me here then? What’s the point of holding me captive, if not as ransom for your precious captain?”

 

The man laughed, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back in his chair. “Why don’t you humor me for a bit? And let me tell you a story--” A sharp knocking at the door cut him off. “ _ Ja?” _

 

Arthur twisted around to see a head of messy blonde hair poking itself through the door, big blue eyes staring at him intently. There was either grease or oil smeared across one of the young boy’s cheeks. It reminded Arthur of his younger brother Liam in a way, and there was something about the way that the boy looked that felt familiar to Arthur, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.

 

“There’s somebody who wants to see you, Gilbert,” the boy stated, shuffling his feet awkwardly as he opened the door all the way to allow a dark-cloaked figure into the room.

 

“Thanks, Luddy,” the silver-haired man replied, whom Arthur could safely assume was named Gilbert, as the boy nodded his head and closed the door behind him when he left.

 

“Gil-- Wait, what’s  _ he _ doing here?” the figure asked, and it was on closer inspection that Arthur realized that it was the man that his brothers had previously captured, albeit a bit more cut up than when Arthur had left him in his cell to rot.

 

“Mattie! How great of you to join us! I knew that you’d get out of there without any trouble. Come sit down. I was just about to tell Artie here a story,” Gilbert exclaimed, his grin widening at the sight of his comrade.

 

Apparently Mattie didn’t seem to be sharing Gilbert’s excitement, his expression drawn up into one of exasperation and exhaustion. “Gil… This wasn’t part of the  _ plan _ … You had told me that--”

 

“We don’t need to worry about the details of that right now! We’ve got a  _ captive _ audience who’s just  _ dying _ to hear our story.” The man chuckled at his own joke, eliciting a groan from both blondes.

 

“I just want to know what the bloody fuck is going on here and why I was even brought here in the first place if I'm not being used as ransom material,” Arthur chimed in, wishing that he could rub his temples to get rid of the headache that was beginning to form. If only his brothers were here right now… Or Niamh. She’d probably have already beaten the hell out of the man and put the fear of God into him.

 

The two men looked over at Arthur before staring at each other, Gilbert clasping his hands under his chin expectantly until Mattie eventually sighed, his shoulders drooping as he walked over to the desk and propped himself against the edge.

 

Violet eyes stared down at Arthur for several moments until the man sighed again. “I’m not really Captain Beilschmidt. My name is Matthew.”

 

“What?” Arthur blinked up at the man incredulously.

 

Matthew sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “My name is Matthew. I’m a colleague of Captain Beilschmidt’s--”

 

“Wow. Just a colleague? That's harsh,” Gilbert mumbled, but Matthew ignored him and continued talking.

 

“--and I've been keeping an eye on you for quite a while, Arthur. I'm also the reason that you were captured by those bandits a couple of days ago, and also the reason that you were rescued. I was also used to deliver several messages to you and Allistor, courtesy of Captain Beilschmidt himself--”

 

“It's not like you were  _ used _ when you  _ volunteered _ for them…” Gilbert grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout.

 

“--all because he's in love with you, Arthur,” Matthew finished as though he hadn't been interrupted by Gilbert yet again.

 

It took Arthur several moments to process all of the information he had just been given. “And how can this man be in love with me exactly, when I haven't even met him nor know what he looks like? What right does he have to--?”

 

“I do. Because we used to be engaged, Arthur,” Gilbert said firmly, his lips pressed into a thin line, and it felt like the wind had been knocked out of Arthur's chest. Even Matthew appeared to be surprised, as though it was new information to him as well.

 

“I beg your pardon? We've never even  _ met _ before, so how could we--”

 

“Let me tell you a story,” Gilbert interrupted again, standing up and beginning to pace around the room. “Once upon a time, there were two boys that lived in a village far from any big cities. It was a peaceful place with lots of nature everywhere. These two boys had grown up together for nearly all of their lives, playing together in the woods and learning how to hunt. They were happy being able to live a simple life away from the rest of the world. However, the rest of the world didn’t care about their happiness, because reality doesn’t work that way. When the boys were just beginning to enter their early teen years, the grandfather of one of the boys came from one of the big cities where he had gained favor and power within the royal family that ruled there. The grandfather came and took the boy and his family to the city where the boy would soon be trained as a knight. Before the boy had left his village though, he had made a promise to the other, that he would always wait for him and that his heart would always belong to him no matter how long it took for him to come back to the village…”

 

Gilbert paused in his storytelling to lean against his desk and stare up at the ceiling. His gaze was distant, as though he was reliving a far-off memory. “Two years had ended up passing before the knight-in-training could make it back to his home village, but he was unable to stay for long. Before he returned to the city though, the two boys swore their hearts to each other and gave each other a promise ring so that the next time that they saw each other, they could get married. But…” Gilbert trailed off, a pained frown on his lips and his fingers curling into tight fists until his knuckles turned white. 

 

His voice was somber when at last he spoke up again. “Things happened that weren't in either's control… War began to rage across the land, enemy forces burning and destroying any towns or villages that they came across on their crusade. The boys’ home was not spared. When the knight heard the news of what had befallen his home, he rushed there as quickly as he could, but all that was left was ashes, and among those ashes, the knight found the ring that he had given to the other… He tried to have hope that his beloved was still alive and had escaped the wrath of their enemies, but weeks turned into months turned into a year with no word from his love, so he had no choice but to assume that the other had perished…

 

“The war raged on, uncaring of the knight's inner pain and turmoil, and soon the capital city was the last sanctuary amidst a ruined country, refugees flocking from the destroyed lands to seek shelter. It was during one of the knight's patrols through the city square that he saw  _ him _ , his long-lost love, stealing food from the marketplace. And it felt like he had fallen in love all over again. However when the knight called out his name and tried to approach his love, the man ran off without so much as a second thought. It troubled the knight greatly, and later that night, he went to one of his fellow knights and close friends in order to confide his feelings to him...

 

“Little did the knight know that his friend was a traitor, working with the crown prince's younger brother to stage a coup d'état. It was only by Fate's guiding hand that the knight came across the plot, managing to save the prince and one of the other knights in the process. The traitor fled, setting the room on fire before he left. Later on, it was announced to the public that the two knights and the prince had perished in the fire that consumed nearly a third of the castle… However, what no one saw the night that the castle burned were five figures fleeing from the fire and stealing one of the airships while the chaos around the castle ensued. To this day, the three men are still presumed dead…”

 

Arthur stared at the man in front of him, Gilbert seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. His gaze was distant and almost had a glazed-over look to it. The story that this man just told him felt completely and utterly ridiculous, and a large part of Arthur felt as though this were all just some elaborate prank. He didn't want to believe that any of it were true. Things like that just didn't  _ happen _ . Life wasn't some sort of fairy tale.

 

_ Then again, if that story were a fairy tale, then it would have some sort of happy ending to it…  _ the rational part of Arthur's mind whispered, because truthfully, there were details in Gilbert's story that he recognized.  _ The fire in the palace… The declaration that the crown prince was dead along with his personal guards… Being caught stealing from the marketplace… Taking refuge in the capital as the war raged on... But other than those things, I don't remember any of the other things he's mentioned... _

 

“How can I trust that what you're telling me is true?” Arthur said slowly, cautiously as he squinted up at the man.

 

The silver-haired man blinked, coming out of his daze to stare at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. “I never did introduce myself properly, did I?” A wide grin spread across his face as he gave a formal bow. “I am Captain Gilbert Beilschmidt. However, in another life, I was known as Eugene Adelbert: grandson of Alaric Adelbert, eldest son of the late Monika Adelbert, and older brother of Wesley Ludwig Adelbert and late Siebold Adelbert.”

 

_ Those names… There's something familiar about those names, but I can't remember anything about them...  _ Arthur tensed, glancing from the man in front of him over to Matthew to check the blonde's reaction. Matthew seemed to be completely unfazed by the information, as if he had heard everything that Gilbert had said before...or perhaps knew of it all first-hand.

 

“What do you mean you  _ were _ known as Eugene?” Arthur opted for asking instead of the myriad of other questions that were racing through his mind.

 

Gilbert merely looked down at Arthur with a sad smile, as though part of him were still grieving inside. Perhaps he had never stopped grieving. Whatever the answer Arthur was expecting from the man though, it wasn't the one that was given.

 

“Because I died.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Celosia here with another update! This chapter was mostly just the first (of several) big lore dumps that I've written for the story to give a bit more insight into the backstory of the characters.  
> Let's see if anybody can guess who some of the characters were in Gilbert's story!


	10. Familiar

"So yer telling me that Beilschmidt's men were able to just come aboard our ship and take our brother as if they were taking candy from a baby…" Allistor mumbled, trailing his hand down his face tiredly. "Were there any casualties?"

 

"Just our pride," Niamh stated from where she sat next to Liam whom they had moved to the bed and was still unconscious for the time being.

 

"There were remarkably few injuries that were sustained too," Dylan pointed out as he leaned against the wall, staring through the window at the skyship that was becoming a mere speck in the distance. "Nothing that required medical attention."

 

_ Our brother is on that ship… _

 

Allistor gritted his teeth together as he clenched his hands into fists and paced around the room. "Why would they risk taking him like that when they know--  _ knew _ that we had their captain aboard?" Not that Allistor was going to mention his suspicions that the man that they had captured wasn't actually the Good Captain. After all, he didn't have proof of that. He was just going off of his instincts based off of how the man had acted.

 

_Then there's the whole damn thing of him saying that we would get to see each other soon-- That's it!_ _Of course, it could always end up being a trap, but the man had every chance to harm me and to harm Liam, but he didn't. There's something about him…_ He shook his head. _No, no, Allistor, don't go startin' to daydream when ye have work ye need to be doing._

 

"Just as he was jumping out the window, he mentioned something about La Coruña. That's probably where they're going to be taking Arthur," Allistor mumbled, rubbing his chin. "I'd say that we stock up on supplies and then make the journey there…"

 

Niamh and Dylan glanced at each other, concern on their faces.

 

"La Coruña?" Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Allistor, that's in Spanish territory… Are you really sure that's a good idea?"

 

"The Glass City…" Niamh murmured, stroking Liam's hair as he began to stir slightly on Allistor's bed. "I've heard of it. It's supposed to be a safe harbor for everyone, even outsiders. The city and harbor itself should be safe, but I wouldn't risk going outside of the city. I'd still be worried that them taking Arthur is a trap… They're  _ pirates _ after all."

 

"And we're not?" Allistor retorted with a raised eyebrow.

 

Niamh didn't respond, but Allistor knew what she had meant.

 

_ We can't trust them, and we can't trust that they won't try to do something underhanded. We have to protect ourselves and our family… _

 

And that also meant getting Arthur back. Again.

 

_ Ah, wee brother, ye keep causing so much trouble… How many times am I going to have to save yer arse this week? _

 

Sighing, Allistor's gaze fixated on Liam as their younger brother began to stir and peered up at them groggily. "...I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

 

"Ye bet yer arse that ye are," Niamh scolded, though her tone was affectionate as she stood up from the edge of the bed. "Ye shouldn't have gone after 'im, Liam… Ye wouldn't have been hurt if ye'd have listened to us…"

 

"But he was getting  _ away _ , Nini…" Liam groaned with a pout, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling onto his other side so that his back was to his siblings. "It's not fair…"

 

"He could've killed you, Liam. You're lucky that he only knocked you out," Dylan pointed out, his back pressed against the window as now the other airship was out of sight. He looked exhausted.

 

Allistor sighed, rubbing his face. "Everyone needs to go get some rest. We're going to dock to get supplies, and then we'll be heading out to La Coruña immediately."

 

That seemed to pique Liam's interest as he immediately sat up. "We're heading to La Coruña? Why?"

 

Niamh merely shook her head and dragged Liam out of the bed and towards the door. "Hush now,  _ mo storeen _ , there will be time enough for that later," she murmured, guiding him out the door and down the hall. Allistor knew that she would try to break it gently to Liam. As gentle as Niamh was capable of, that was.

 

There was a moment of silence between the brothers, but it only lasted a moment before Dylan stood in front of Allistor and placed a hand on his arm. “You’ve been acting...different lately. Are you okay?”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Allistor stared at Dylan before letting out a breathy laugh. “Are any of us really okay, Dylan? With as much that’s been going on these past few days, I’m exhausted--”

 

“It’s not that…” He trailed off, pressing his lips into a thin line before shaking his head, running a hand back through his wavy brown hair. “It’s the way that you’ve been acting around that Beilschmidt fellow… The way that you were when I first found you kneeling by his body in the forest… Just the way that you were looking at him…”

 

Allistor’s heart leapt into his throat.  _ Surely Dylan couldn’t have guessed my feelings towards the man… I couldn’t have ended up being  _ **_that_ ** _ obvious about it, could I? _

 

Dylan let out a small chuckle, releasing Allistor’s arm and staring out the window. “Maybe I’m reading too much into things… But…” he trailed off again, leaving Allistor to raise an eyebrow. Shaking his head, Dylan grinned at his brother. “He looked familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before. I know I didn’t get to have as much of a look at him as you did, but I’m sure that you noticed it too. But it has to be impossible...because the man that he looks like is supposed to be dead.”

 

The wind felt as though it had been knocked out of Allistor. Truthfully, he hadn’t even noticed any of what Dylan had mentioned. He had been too enraptured and captivated by the man’s appearance and the feelings that he stirred up in the redhead for him to realize anything else.

 

Patting Allistor on the shoulder, Dylan smiled and started towards the door. “I’ll go get the crew ready to dock at the nearest port for supplies. You take care of mapping the route to La Coruña.” He closed the door behind him, leaving Allistor standing stunned in the middle of the room.

 

“Familiar…” Plopping down at his desk, Allistor pulled out the knife that the man had left on the bandits’ skyship when Arthur had first been captured. His fingers gently skimmed over the metal of the blade all the way up to the hilt.

 

Etched into the hilt was an ornate emblem that Allistor hadn’t bothered to pay much attention to when he first took the blade. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that it was a coat of arms of some sort with what appeared to be an owl, raven, and phoenix surrounding a crown and sword. The crown and sword themselves were resting on a bed of either roses or lilies or maybe it was gears; he couldn’t quite tell because the details were so small.

 

All that Allistor knew was that he had definitely seen the coat of arms somewhere before and that he knew that it belonged to a house of royalty. What he didn’t know was which house it belonged to and how it had ended up in the hands of Beilschmidt and his men. Part of him felt like he had seen the crest on a flag that was flying from a castle wall.

 

_ Then there was a fire of some sort that destroyed a good portion of the castle, and there were men that were pronounced dead. This must’ve been what Beilschmidt was so desperate to get back when he was trying to escape… It’s not hard to imagine why… _

 

Taking the knife, he walked over to his wardrobe and found a spare shirt that he wrapped the knife in, stashing the beautiful weapon in the back of the wardrobe.

 

_ Don’t want anybody trying to steal it or getting the wrong idea if they see it and know what it is or where its origins are from… _

 

Another part of him was still curious as to what the dryad had meant whenever she had told him that he needed to protect the blonde man that she herself had ended up knocking unconscious. His thoughts kept slipping back to the way that his blonde hair had gleamed like gold in the sunlight and looked almost silver in the moonlight; the way his violet eyes glittered like amethysts in the light; the way that his breath and heartbeat had hitched and a deep flush had spread across his cheeks whenever Allistor had gotten too close; the feeling of the man’s fingers pressed against his lips; the warmth that radiated between their bodies when they had been standing close together...

 

Rubbing his face, Allistor plopped back down at his desk, taking out his maps.

 

_ Focus, Allistor. _

 

It wouldn’t take too long to reach the Glass City. They may even be able to make the trip overnight and be there by dawn, given that they were able to finish their supply run in less than two hours. It was pushing it, but it would be manageable. He could probably even cut down the supply run to an hour, but he thought better of it for the sheer fact that he didn’t want to end up waltzing into a possible trap unprepared.

 

_ There’s already been too many surprises that have been around every corner. I don’t like the feeling that we may be walking straight into another one… _

 

A heavy sigh escaped Allistor’s lips as he pressed his forehead against the desk. The worry for his brother that he had been trying to suppress came back with full force, but he also found that it was tempered by his concern for the violet-eyed man. “Oh, Arthur… What a mess we’ve gotten ourselves into this time…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Celosia here!  
> Sorry for the delay in updates; work has been pretty hectic this past week, and I had also been focusing on trying to get the 10th chapter of my original work "Love is a Long Road" completed, and that ended up taking longer than I was expecting since it ended up turning into an over 5k word chapter!  
> However, I did finally manage to push this update out, even though it is a little bit of a filler chapter, and I am going to try to get another update done this weekend to make up for the lack of updates this past week.  
> But thank you to everyone who has subscribed, and I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!


	11. No Such Thing

“ _ Gilbert _ , are you sure this is a good idea?” Matthew hissed under his breath from where he had pulled the pirate captain aside. “Just letting Arthur wander around unrestrained? What if he tries to sabotage something on the ship?”

 

“Aww, c’mon, Mattie,” Gilbert said cheerfully, patting the blonde’s shoulder, “it’s  _ Arthur _ .” As if that justified everything. “He’s not going to do anything. Besides, we can’t exactly keep him chained up. It’s bad manners!”

 

A groan rose in Matthew’s throat as he buried his face in his hands.  _ This isn’t what was supposed to happen! None of this is going according to the plan that Gilbert had told me! Though I did end up unintentionally messing up my part when I had been captured, but we had still planned for the possibility of that, and the message that I would pass along in the event that that happened. This, on the other hand… Nobody had told me to expect Arthur to be taken prisoner, or for Gilbert to tell him our past of what had happened… _

 

“I can still hear you, you know,” Arthur called out from where he was sitting on Gilbert’s bed on the other side of the room, rubbing at his wrists where the manacles had bound him to the chair not much longer than an hour or two ago.

 

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Matthew sighed, rubbing his face and wincing as he once again forgot about the cuts and bruises that marked the skin. “Yes, I’m quite aware. It’s a small room, after all.” Squaring his shoulders, he turned to face Arthur who was staring at him with veiled curiosity. A snarky comment was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back. There was no need to try to antagonize the man, even if Matthew felt slightly bitter about the slap that he had received from the Arthur whenever the other had been holding him captive aboard his own ship.

 

_ Oh, how the tables have turned… _

 

“Where exactly are you taking me?” Arthur asked, seeming to ignore Matthew’s comment for the time being.

 

“We’re going to the City of Glass,” Gilbert announced proudly, walking over to stand at his desk and shuffling through some papers.

 

Arthur seemed to pause at that information, raising an eyebrow. "And why in the bloody Hell would we be going there?" he asked after a few moments of silence, his shoulders tense.

 

Gilbert glanced over at Matthew, as though he were asking permission but he didn’t wait for Matthew to reply before he spoke. “It’s the best place to be able to get information from when you’re trying to find something...or someone… Plus! We have some supplies that we need to deliver for a few contract buyers, and a couple of parts that we need to scrape together. Luddy has a couple of projects that he’s working on that he’s been needing a few parts for, so this was going to be our next stop on our list of things to do. It would only be better if you’re there with us as well.”

 

Matthew turned his head towards the door whenever he heard the quiet knock. Leaving Gilbert to his own devices, Matthew walked over and opened the door slightly, a familiar head of blonde hair peering up at him with a serious expression. “Ludwig, is everything okay?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on the young teen’s shoulder as he allowed him into the room.

 

Ludwig grunted softly, seeming to relax slightly at Matthew’s touch as he shifted his grip on several scrolls of paper between his arms. “I just wanted to show you the designs that I’ve come up with for some inventions that I think could be useful for you, Matthew…” He eyed Arthur warily, his footsteps faltering slightly, but he squared his shoulders and marched forward regardless. “Plus I finished taking inventory around the ship for any parts that we need or that we’re getting low on, outside of the usual. And then Mr. Honda said that he would bring a list of any of the medical supplies that he is low on once he had finished taking stock."

 

"You're Ludwig?" Arthur asked suddenly, causing the pair to look over at the pirate.

 

Ludwig shifted uncomfortably, Matthew finding himself pulling the young teen behind him protectively. It drew an exasperated sigh from the pirate captain.

 

"For fuck's sake, I'm not going to  _ hurt _ him. He just...looks familiar. Besides," Arthur said, pushing his hair back out of his face and retying it into a ponytail, "I have my own younger brother who's...about the same age as him--"

 

"Liam," Ludwig stated, a twinge of pain in his voice. "I know. We were friends before Grandfather made Eu-- I mean, Gilbert and I move away…"

 

Arthur's eyes were wide as he stared at Ludwig, shock seeming to settle in over the captain. Matthew glanced over at Gilbert, and while Matthew knew he was likely listening to the conversation in the room, he was focusing on his maps and writing something down in his journals.

 

Matthew's eyes widened as Ludwig pulled away from him to walk over to Arthur, first depositing the scrolls onto Gilbert's desk.

 

"You don't...remember me, do you? You don't remember Gilbert either…" Ludwig mumbled, shuffling his feet awkwardly and folding his arms across his chest. He had been going through a bit of a growth spurt as of late, his limbs gangly and slightly disproportionate to his body. There had been countless times where he had tripped over his own feet because he wasn't accustomed to the new growth in his body. Not to mention the occasional awkward voice crack. "I know Gilbert looks...different than he used to, but he's still the same person…"

 

"...What do you mean?" Arthur asked, his shoulders stiffening and his hand almost instinctively reaching to his side as if to grab his sword, which wasn't there. Matthew knew it was likely a reflexive movement caused from distrust of anyone getting too close, but it didn't make him feel any more secure about letting Ludwig get that close to the man.

 

Ludwig seemed to ignore the question, staring down at the green-eyed man. His voice was urgent. "Do you remember when you had used your magic to help rescue me from a group of pixies that had been trying to lure me away from the village? How you put a spell of protection on me so that nothing bad would happen to me and so that the fairies wouldn't try to steal me away again?"

 

Now that made Matthew raise an eyebrow.  _ Arthur can use magic? And he can see fairies? _

 

A sharp laugh escaped Arthur's throat. His voice was incredulous as he stood up and shook his head. His gaze was distant as he straightened out his red coat. "Boy, I don't know what you think you've filled your head with, but there's no such thing as magic, and there's no such thing as faeries. Wake up and stop believing in such silly nonsense."

 

Ludwig took a few hurried steps backward, almost backing into Matthew who had his hands out to brace them on the teen's shoulders. He looked as if he had just been slapped.

 

Matthew narrowed his eyes. He would've spoken up, but Gilbert ended up beating him to it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He stood between Arthur and Ludwig, waving his hands in front of him. "Of course there's magic and fairies! It's just that with so much iron and steel, all of the ships and cities pretty much make it completely uninhabitable for the fairies! But back where we lived, among all of the forests and mountains, we didn't have the same problems--"

 

"Sod off, will you?" Arthur hissed, stepping closer to Gilbert and jabbing him in the chest with his finger. "I don't want to hear any more about fairies or magic or pixies or whatever the bloody hell else nonsense that you've managed to fill that child's head with! You must think me a fool to continue playing along with a silly little fantasy like that, even if it's for the sake of sparing a child his feelings!"

 

With each word that Arthur growled out, he continued to jab Gilbert in the chest, making the white-haired pirate back up until his back hit the wall. His hands were raised defenselessly in front of him, pressed against the other captain's chest. "Arthur…" His hands suddenly tightened themselves in the other's coat. Gilbert's voice was rough with emotion and unshed tears despite the smile that was on his face. "I missed you… I missed you so much… You can't even begin to imagine the pain that I went through when I thought you might be dead… But if you managed to be alive after all that time with as much as I had hoped you would be, I sure as Hell will believe in magic and fairies too. I have to..."

 

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed together as though he were getting frustrated. Before he could say anything though, he was cut off by Gilbert's lips pressing against his cheek for several lingering moments. The shock was enough of a distraction for Gilbert to break free--even if Matthew could see that he was reluctant to even step away from the man--and head back to his desk.

 

“ _ Oi! _ Now wait just a moment--” Arthur started, beginning to step forward until the door opened and another familiar face stepped inside.

 

“Francis!” Ludwig exclaimed, taking a few steps toward the man.

 

The entrance of the Frenchman caused Arthur to bite his tongue and retreat back towards the opposite wall for the time being, rubbing his wrists and grumbling under his breath about something. Matthew couldn’t be sure what though.

 

A smile spread across Francis’s face as he reached out and ruffled Ludwig’s hair, causing the teen to scrunch up his nose and wave the hands away. “Ah,  _ mon oisillon _ , how are you doing? I would’ve thought that you were busy engineering something again,  _ non _ ? Always so creative.” His voice was wistful as he sighed, pushing his hair back over his shoulder. He glanced over at Matthew when he spotted Arthur free of his restraints, raising an eyebrow.

 

Matthew merely sighed, rolling his eyes toward Gilbert and shrugging.

 

Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck, staring between the two with narrowed eyes as he tried to decipher the meaning between the silent exchange before stepping back against the wall. “I was just delivering some plans and supply lists to my brother and Matthew.”

 

“I see,” Francis murmured, rubbing his chin in thought before approaching Gilbert and holding out another sheet of paper. “Here,  _ mon bon capitaine _ ; it’s the list from Kiku on everything that he needs. He would’ve brought it himself, but he’s tending to a patient at the moment and asked me if I could bring it in his place,” he explained as Gilbert took the sheet of parchment and placed it with the others that were on his desk.

 

“Good, good. How close are we to docking?” Gilbert asked Francis, though his gaze remained longingly fixated on Arthur. Matthew swore that there was a tinge of sadness in Gilbert’s expression, but he couldn’t be entirely sure, especially with the way that Gilbert often masked his true emotions.

 

“We’ll be ready to dock at the port in fifteen minutes,” Francis confirmed, his thumb running across the hilt of his sword absentmindedly as Gilbert patted him on the shoulder. Turning his attention back to Matthew and Ludwig, Francis stepped closer to them, his voice low as he spoke. “Speaking of patients, you should go and see Kiku yourself, my dear Matthew,” he murmured, gently bringing his hand up to ghost his thumb across the wounds that were on the blonde’s cheek.

 

For just the briefest of moments, Matthew froze from the touch, his thoughts immediately slipping back to the way that a particular redhead had caressed his cheek. The way that his breath had warmed his skin as he had leaned in close. The way that Matthew could still feel Allistor’s lips lingering against the back of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine.

 

“Matthew?” Francis asked, blue eyes laced with concern as though he had been trying to say something for several minutes without getting a response. Perhaps he had been.

 

Clearing his throat, Matthew asked, “Pardon?”

 

“Are you okay? You zoned out and weren’t responding…” Shaking his head, Francis pressed his lips into a thin line, appearing to think better than to ask the question on his mind as he placed a hand on Ludwig’s shoulder. “Take Matthew to go see Kiku. Just to make sure that nothing else is wrong,  _ oui _ ?”

 

Matthew wanted to be able to protest it, but he knew that he wouldn’t have been able to give an adequate reason when he needed his wounds patched up in the first place. He needed to be in top condition for the missions that he would have coming up soon, especially once they landed their ship.

 

Ludwig nodded obediently, linking his arm with Matthew’s as the teen escorted him out of the room before Matthew had a chance to say anything. “You’re not coming down sick, are you?” Ludwig eventually asked, his voice laced with concern as he glanced up at Matthew. He could see the hidden fear in the boy’s bright blue eyes.

 

A fond smile pulled at Matthew’s lips. Ludwig had always been attached to him ever since the boy was young. He looked up to and respected Matthew, and Matthew had been one of the few friends that Ludwig had made after he had arrived at the castle. With the loss of his younger brother Siebold, Matthew couldn’t really blame Ludwig for latching onto him.

 

“I’ll be fine, Luddy,” Matthew reassured him, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I just got banged up a bit when I was captured, and I had to dislocate my one shoulder in order to escape. Everything will be okay though.”

 

Those words seemed to be enough reassurance for Ludwig for the time being, some of the tension in his shoulders dissipating.

 

Turning forward as they walked, the smile faded from Matthew’s face.  _ I can only hope that everything will be fine… With everything… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! As promised, here's the next chapter of the fic, with the added bonus of a new character being mentioned and added to the story! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and is looking forward to the next one!


	12. Natural Talent

An over-anxious feeling had been lodged itself in Allistor’s chest during the entire time that their ship had been docked. His heavy boots clanked against the floor with each step that he took as he paced back and forth in his office or on the skyship’s bridge. Waiting had never been his strongest ability, and now it was no exception as he was forced to stay with the ship while the others went and gathered all of the supplies that they needed to stock up on.

 

Needless to say though, the view of the port city was one of the most beautiful that he had ever seen with the way that the starlight and moonlight glittered off of the buildings, and well worth the wait. There was a reason that the city had been named the Glass City after all. If only he and his siblings had been visiting under different circumstances...

 

It hadn’t been difficult for Allistor to find where Beilschmidt’s ship had been docked after the three elder siblings had split up to cover more ground. The trouble started whenever he had approached the ship and demanded to speak to the captain, only to be told by the men that were guarding it that the captain wasn’t aboard the ship at the moment. A young teen with blonde hair ended up asking him if he was Allistor, and when the redhead said yes, the boy told him that the others had gone to the White Eagle.

 

Allistor had tried to ask more about it, about where it was, but the boy had already ended up disappearing back below the deck and the others on the ship weren’t about to let him board to go after him. Plus as much as he wanted to go after him, Allistor wasn’t about to try to fight his way through Beilschmidt’s men.

 

Heaving a sigh, Allistor turned around and headed back into the town, the hood of his cloak drawn over his head as he searched for the White Eagle that the boy had ended up mentioning. It took him nearly fifteen minutes, but eventually he had ended up finding what ended up being a tavern. It was a quaint place with a simple exterior that seemed to blend in with its surroundings, tucked away near the coast at the edge of the town with music and laughter spilling out of the open door. Truthfully, he would’ve ended up overlooking the place if it hadn’t been for the large white clockwork eagle that he had ended up spotting from where it sat on a tall pole in front of the building.

 

If Allistor hadn’t been in so much of a hurry, he would’ve stopped to admire the majestic mechanical creature. Clockwork creatures weren’t the most common, and something as rare as an  _ eagle _ … Whoever owned it must’ve either been an inventor with wealthy investors or had enough money to pay the small fortune it would’ve taken to buy an eagle like that.

 

Slipping inside the building, Allistor kept himself close to the walls as he scanned the perimeter, searching for any sort of familiar faces in the crowd. Eventually he spotted a head of blonde hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail speaking to the two men that were at the counter of the bar. Allistor couldn’t see his face, but he was almost certain who it was, even though the man had forgone any of the fancy outfits that Allistor had previously seen him in prior and was dressed in a simple white silk shirt and brown trousers.

 

The first man had straight blonde hair that went to his chin, and he was talking eagerly to the other blonde. Allistor strained to make out the words that he was saying over the other patrons. “But honestly, we’re really grateful to everything that you and Gilbert and Francis have been doing for us, Matthew. You have, like, no idea how much your help means.”

 

The blonde,  _ Matthew _ , merely chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “ _ Honestly _ , Feliks, it’s not a big deal. We’re just doing what we can. The kids deserve all of the help that they can get…”

 

Allistor raised an eyebrow, slowly walking in the shadows to make his way closer.  _ Kids? _

 

The other man, half of his dark brown hair tied up into a high ponytail, stepped behind Feliks and placed his hands on the blonde man’s shoulders. “We do appreciate it though. If it weren’t for you three, and the others in your crew of course, we wouldn’t be able to take care of them all, especially with as restrictive as the trade and tariffs have been getting lately with…” He trailed off, a grimace on his face. “...unpleasant people in charge.”

 

Matthew nodded, leaning his hip against the counter of the bar. “I know, Toris… And we’re working on it. We just need some more time to get everything that we need. The way that things have turned out…” He trailed off. “I wouldn’t have ever let this happen if--”

 

“Hey! Don’t, like, beat yourself up about it!” Feliks exclaimed, brushing his hair back out of his face as he leaned into the brunette. “It’s not your fault. Some people are just greedy dicks. You can’t change that. And we’re here to help you with anything that you might need.”

 

A weight seemed to lift itself from Matthew’s shoulders. Allistor couldn’t see it from where he was standing, but he was sure that Matthew was smiling that small smile that he gave whenever he was relieved.

 

“Oh! By the way, we have a gift for you,” Feliks added, a smug smile on his face as he turned and pressed a kiss to Toris’s cheek.

 

Toris mumbled something that Allistor didn’t catch, but it caused Feliks to laugh and shoo him away. The brown-haired man merely rolled his eyes, but there was a faint smile on his lips as he walked into the back. When he returned, he was carrying a case of some sort that he presented to Matthew.

 

It caused the blonde to freeze up, his hands trembling slightly as he opened the latch and lifted the lid. His voice was thick with emotion when he spoke. “Where did you find this?” His fingers delicately trailed across the item inside, Allistor squinting to try to see what it was.

 

“Leo ended up...appropriating it from some people that were trying to auction it off in the marketplace about a week ago. He saw it and thought that you might like it back,” Toris explained as Matthew gently lifted the object out of its case.

 

“...It was my mother’s…” was all that Matthew ended up saying.

 

“Aw, buttercup, don’t cry...” Feliks murmured, reaching out a hand and brushing away what Allistor could only assume were tears. “Why don’t you play us a song? I’m sure everyone would enjoy it. It’s been a while since we last heard your music.”

 

“ _ Feliks! _ ” Toris hissed, scrunching his eyebrows together. “You know Matthew has a lot to do--”

 

“No,” Matthew interrupted, shaking his head. “It’s fine. I want to. I don’t mind.” Allistor watched as Matthew walked over to a small platform that had been erected in the center of the room.

 

Sliding over towards the bar, Allistor ordered a glass of whiskey from one of the men, turning to watch Matthew as he brought the object to his shoulder. Now that Allistor could actually see it properly, he realized it was a violin: a very old violin that was made of wood and not out of metal like the ones that were produced in the more modern years.  _ He said it was his mother’s… _

 

The blonde drew the bow across the strings of the violin, testing the sound and briefly spending a few moments to tune the instrument.

 

Then Matthew played.

 

It felt like Allistor’s world stopped spinning as he watched the blonde, and in those moments, he only had eyes for Matthew as everything else simply fell away. Matthew’s fingers danced across the strings, drawing out notes of a haunting melody that seemed to transfix everybody within the tavern. His eyes were closed and a content smile was spread across his lips. It made Allistor want to kiss him.

 

“He has a natural talent for that, you know?”

 

Allistor blinked, turning his head towards the man that spoke. Feliks. “Pardon?”

 

Feliks tilted his head towards Matthew, a fond smile on his lips as he sighed. “Music. He may be a damn good fighter, deadly when he wants to be. But  _ music _ is in that boy’s blood and soul. It draws people to him. And he may not believe it himself, or even believe in himself that much, but he’s a natural leader… He’s special.” Those words made Allistor blink, because he knew that he had heard them before from someone else. Feliks turned his head back towards Allistor, a smirk on his face. “I can tell you fancy him.”

 

A light flush crept its way up Allistor’s neck as he felt his gaze drawn back to where Matthew was still playing the violin. He wanted to deny it, but looking at Matthew as he was now, all soft curls and softer smiles, it left his heart melting in his chest. “Aye… I do, but Lady Luck and Lady Fate haven’t been on the best o’ me sides lately,” he murmured, bringing his drink to his lips.

 

Movement near the doorway of the tavern drew Allistor’s gaze to three figures that stood in the doorway. The first two were decidedly human, but the third… Sad green eyes stared emptily out from where they sat amongst green skin and behind tangled green hair. It stood hunched over, and when it walked behind the pair of blonde men, it walked with a limp. A collar was wrapped tightly around the creatures throat, and Allistor could sense the binding magic on the item from where he sat.

 

_ A troll! That should be impossible! One of those men has bound a troll to him! _

 

It made Allistor’s shoulders tense and he had to stop himself from automatically reaching for his sword as they approached Matthew. The taller of the two men applauded, clapping his hands deliberately slow, and the noise seemed to surprise Matthew, causing his music to screech to a stop. He took a few steps back from the men, but Allistor could see that Matthew’s gaze was focused just past the two at the troll.

 

_ Matthew can see the Fae? _

 

It was an interesting sort of revelation, but one that Allistor couldn’t afford to focus on at the moment.

 

“You are really very good at playing that instrument that you have there,” the taller man stated, an overly cheery grin on his face as he beamed up at Matthew. “But… I couldn’t help but to notice…” He trailed off as he rubbed a hand against his chin, seeming to squint up at the musician. “You seem awfully...familiar. What do you think, Lukas? Doesn’t he have the same face as Alfred? I mean, if you took the bandages away, of course.”

 

The shorter man raised an eyebrow, staring up at Matthew with soulless eyes. There was something...dark and twisted within the man that Allistor couldn’t quite understand what it was. A corruption of magic.

 

"Toris," he heard Feliks whisper urgently behind him, " _ bounty hunters _ ."

 

An uneasy air had settled over the tavern, many of the patrons shifting uncomfortably and murmuring amongst themselves. Some even left the building as quietly as they could. The two blondes didn't seem to notice or care though, their gaze fixed solely on Matthew.

 

Lukas squinted for a few more moments at him before muttering, "Perhaps, Mathias, but… He's not human."

 

Matthew seemed to be frozen in place, holding the violin and its bow protectively against his body. Allistor raised an eyebrow incredulously at the statement. Every bit of Matthew looked as human as a human could be. Surely the man was merely trying to sow confusion and fear among the attendees of the tavern.

 

"He's not, eh?" Mathias stated with a raised eyebrow, his hand resting against the sword at his hip.

 

That was the last straw for Allistor as he rose to his feet and was about to make his way to the men, but before he had the chance to take a single step, there was already a sword being pressed against Mathias's throat. At the other end of the sword, Allistor recognized Toris, the brunette's face a mask of restrained fury.

 

"I would suggest that you and your companion leave," Toris stated firmly, pressing the blade just a bit harder against Mathias's neck until the blonde drew his hand away from his sword and put his hands up in front of himself. "This is a place of business and neutral territory. All patrons who have disputes with one another will settle them  _ outside _ of the building. There will be no fighting in here. Understand?"

 

Mathias and Lukas took a step back from Toris, a sheepish chuckle falling from the taller's mouth. "No harm meant. No harm meant." He turned his gaze up to Matthew. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you-- What did you say your name was again?"

 

Matthew stared coldly down at the two men. "I didn't."

 

There was a pause, Mathias looking up at Matthew expectantly as though he was waiting for Matthew to tell him his name. When it became apparent that that wasn't going to be the case, Mathias wrinkled up his nose, smoothing out his overcoat and walking towards the door. "Well, it's been a lovely evening, gentlemen. I'm sure that we'll see each other again…" Mathias gave a mocking bow before slipping out of the building, Lukas and the troll lingering for a moment longer before following suit.

 

A collective sigh of relief went up from the crowd when the men had left as the voices began to return to their normal volume, Matthew seeming nearly weak-kneed as Toris came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He whispered something into the blonde's ear, who merely shook his head or nodded in response to what was being said. Eventually Toris sighed, gently guiding Matthew back towards the bar.

 

It wasn't until Matthew had nearly walked straight into Allistor, the redhead putting his hands out to brace the man, that Matthew even realized that Allistor was standing in front of him. Violet eyes widened in surprise, Feliks slyly slipping the violin out of Matthew's hands to return it to its case before the tall blonde could end up dropping the priceless instrument.

 

"Allistor! W-What are you--"

 

"Ye said that we would see each other again if I came to La Coruña," Allistor murmured, his hands still firmly gripping Matthew's arms. The other's warmth seeped into Allistor's hands, and he found himself stepping closer to the man. His eyes desperately traced every line and feature of Matthew's face as if it had been months or years since the last time he had seen him and not a few mere hours.

 

"I...did say that, yes," Matthew murmured, a flush gradually creeping its way up his cheeks.

 

After a few more moments of silence, Allistor heard an exaggerated sigh from behind Matthew. “Oh, whoops! Clumsy me. How could I be so careless?” Feliks exclaimed, bumping his hip against Matthew and causing the man to stagger forward into Allistor’s chest, Allistor’s arms wrapping around the blonde’s waist.

 

Matthew shot Feliks a glare as the blonde trotted back to behind the counter, whistling an innocent tune. “I swear…” Shaking his head, he turned his gaze up to Allistor. “I’m really sorry about that… Feliks can be a bit...extreme sometimes.”

 

“I’m not extreme,” Feliks called out from the back, causing Allistor to snort. “It’s just about time that you found yourself a man, Mattie!”

 

Sighing, Matthew rolled his eyes. “As I was saying… I’m glad that you made it safely--”

 

“How aboot I buy ye a drink? Matthew...” Allistor asked, catching the man off-guard. He leaned forward, whispering into his ear. “Also… I’d like to know what ye did with me brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Celosia here! Sorry for the lack of updates this week. I've been having to work overtime now that summer is officially here, so updates might end up being a little bit more sporadic than usual. I'm also going to be working on several one-shots for various event weeks on Tumblr that are coming up over the course of June and July. I'll be posting those on my Tumblr @celosia-starfall as well as on AO3, so if you enjoy this fanfic, don't forget to keep an eye out for those fics coming out in the future. Also feel free to drop by my Tumblr and ask questions about any of the stories that I'm working on!  
> As always, I hope everyone enjoys the story, and I look forward to writing more for you all. This was also my first time writing both Poland and Lithuania, so I hope that I've managed to do their characters justice so far!


	13. Say My Name

To say that Matthew hadn’t expected Allistor to be standing there waiting for him would be an understatement. To say that Matthew had expected to end up standing in Allistor’s arms after being confronted by a pair of bounty hunters in the middle of a tavern, or even just ending up in Allistor’s arms at all, was a complete impossibility. To be offered a drink and having Allistor actually know his name was the last straw. If it hadn’t been for the fact that the redhead had followed up with wanting to know where Arthur was, then Matthew would’ve tried to find a way to elude the pirate. This wasn’t about just the two of them though.

 

“I, uh, don’t drink actually,” Matthew murmured, gently declining the offer as he patted Allistor’s chest, “but perhaps if you would like to accompany me on a walk...?”

 

The redhead seemed to contemplate the offer before grinning. "It would be an honor," he murmured, taking a single step back to allow Matthew to retrieve his violin case from the counter.

 

Securing the case to his back, Matthew raised a hand in farewell to Toris and Feliks. "Take care. If anything happens, let us know. You know how to message us."

 

"We will," Toris murmured, patting his shoulder. "I'll try to find out some more information on those guys that were here and give you a heads-up."

 

"I appreciate it," Matthew murmured, turning and heading towards the exit with Allistor close on his heels. It was only when they were about to leave that Feliks spoke up, and he wasn't talking to Matthew.

 

"Hey, Red! You're welcome!"

 

Allistor only chuckled, raising a hand that he soon placed on Matthew's arm. "They're quite the interesting couple, eh?" he whispered as they started down the street.

 

It was only after a brief pause that Matthew felt a light weight drape over his shoulders and head. Blinking as fabric drooped in front of his eyes, Matthew peeked over at Allistor before looking down at the cloak that the pirate had put over him.

 

"It's so ye don't get recognized," Allistor whispered gently, linking his arm through Matthew's as they continued to walk. "I figured it'd be a smart move considering those men from back at the tavern that were trying to start shite."

 

"Oh." Heat crept up Matthew's face, and he was suddenly very grateful for the cloak and the cover of night to hide the flush that was burning its way to the tips of his ears. Honestly he wouldn't have thought that Allistor would've been the type to be so considerate, but he found himself pleasantly surprised. "Thank you…"

 

They continued on in silence for a little bit longer before Matthew tugged Allistor into the mouth of a nearby alleyway. Taking a quick survey of the area to be sure there were no intrusive ears lurking about, Matthew leaned closer to Allistor. "How did you find me?"

 

The redhead raised an eyebrow, bracing an arm on the wall near Matthew's head. "I'd gone to yer ship to try to find where you and my brother were, but I was told that ye were at the White Eagle. So I searched around to find it. So I'll ask ye again. Where is Arthur?"

 

This caused Matthew to frown. "I'm the only one that went to the White Eagle though. Arthur was still on the ship with Gilbert. Who told you that I was at the tavern?" He had an idea of who it was that told Allistor, but he wanted to be sure that he wasn't jumping to conclusions.  _ Or at least, Gilbert and Arthur are supposed to be on the ship... _

 

"He never said his name," Allistor murmured, his fingers seeming to instinctively reach out and brush against Matthew's hair. Matthew let him. "It was a boy though. Mid-teens, I'd say. Blue eyes, blonde hair." He paused, his brows scrunching together. "He looked familiar actually."

 

Matthew pursed his lips together, though he didn't say anything at first.  _ Of course Luddy would look familiar, if Allistor had grown up around Gilbert and his family before their village had been destroyed. Unless his memory somehow got scrambled like Arthur's did too. _

 

"That was Ludwig. He's Gilbert's little brother," Matthew explained quietly, leaning his head back against the wall and glancing around to make sure the coast was still clear.  _ And I'm going to have some words with him when I get back there. _

 

"Ludwig? As in Wesley Ludwig?"

 

Well, it seemed like Allistor's memory was as sharp as a knife. "Yes," Matthew confirmed, watching Allistor carefully for his reaction, but that was the only thing that the redheaded man asked. Matthew could see the gears turning in his head though.

 

The change in subject was something that he should've expected, but it was still a touchy subject that Matthew wished to avoid speaking about. "Those two men at the tavern… They said something about you having the same face as someone named Alfred."

 

Matthew nodded slowly.

 

"The one man… Lukas… He said that you weren't human."

 

Again, Matthew nodded. “He said that, yes.”

 

"...You could see the troll that he had with him."

 

Now that statement caught Matthew off-guard. "You could see the troll too?" There were very few people that he knew of that could actually see the Fae. He didn't know how he felt about Allistor being one of them. Or the fact that Allistor somehow knew that Matthew could see fairies as well.

 

"Yes," Allistor murmured, his thumb trailing across the bandage on Matthew's cheek and involuntarily making the blonde shiver. He seemed to pause before adding, "My family has always been blessed with the Sight and the ability to see the Other."

 

That caused Matthew to frown after a moment, shifting his weight to his other foot. "Arthur said that fairies and magic don't exist. He seemed rather adamant about it. Even when Luddy had insisted that Arthur had placed a protection spell on him when he was younger to protect him from fairies."

 

Allistor sighed, moving his hand to cup Matthew's cheek. "Ever since the attack on our home, Arthur hasn't been the same. He unintentionally sealed a great portion of his memories away, and with it, his Sight and magic."

 

_ That would make sense… Or at least help explain why he doesn't remember Gilbert despite the two of them growing up together and having such a strong connection and bond and loving each other so much that they had planned to marry one another. _

 

“I see…” Matthew exhaled, turning his head slightly into Allistor’s hand before glancing into the man’s eyes. His gaze seemed to be held in place as his breath hitched, finding it difficult to even want to look away. “I-Is there anything...else?”

 

There was a pause as Allistor merely stared at him, emerald eyes searching his face for several moments before finally deciding to speak. “Ye seem very resistant to courting. Why? Ye act like ye like me, but then ye go running off and trying to get away from me when I approach ye.” He didn’t sound hurt, just thoughtful as he leaned closer in a clear attempt to try to fluster Matthew.

 

And Matthew couldn’t say that it didn’t work, his face feeling as though it were on fire. “You can’t say that our circumstances are particularly  _ ideal _ for courting or trying to pursue a love interest,” Matthew mumbled, a nervous shiver running down his spine. “And it’s not that I don’t find you attractive or that I’m not attracted to you,” he could at least admit that much honestly, “it’s just that-- it’s just that it wouldn’t work.” Allistor’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion but Matthew continued speaking before he had a chance to interject. “I have too many enemies--powerful enemies that would see me dead--and anyone that I’m with would just end up running the risk of dying along with me or being used. There’s too much at stake for me to allow that to happen!”

 

Allistor let out an amused snort, a wide grin spreading across his face. Not the reaction that Matthew was expecting from him. “I’m one of the notorious Kirkland pirates. My life is constantly fraught with peril. Do ye really think that having a few enemies would be that big of a deterrent? I told ye before, I'm not fixing to lose ye again and have ye keep running away from me."

 

"B-But--" the blonde broke off, staring at Allistor incredulously when he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. And for just a few moments, Matthew was able to lose himself in the serenity of the moment, of the soothing sound of waves in the distance, of the warmth of Allistor against his skin. "You don't understand who we're dealing with… It's not just some run of the mill bandits or lawmen or bounty hunters…" he whispered urgently, his fingers knotting into the fabric of Allistor’s shirt. 

 

The Scot gave a nonchalant shrug. "It doesn't matter. I've fought strong opponents before and won. We just have to keep training diligently and stay in top form, then there would be no one that would be able to stop us. I wouldn't let anything happen to ye."

 

"No. I can't let you do that. I've already had too many people die for me, and I'm not going to let you end up being one of them." He meant to sound stern--he really did--but it just came out as a resigned murmur.

 

"I'm not going to die, Matthew. I have too much to live for."

 

"Everybody dies, Allistor…"

 

There was a sharp inhale and a split second where Matthew wondered if he'd said something wrong...until Allistor spoke. "Say my name again."

 

Matthew glanced up into lidded green eyes, his throat feeling suddenly dry. “Allistor…”

 

As the man leaned forward, there was the lightest brushing of lips against Matthew’s cheek before warm arms wrapped themselves around him, cradling him against Allistor’s body. The redhead’s nose burrowed against the hollow below Matthew’s ear, making the blonde shiver despite the warm night air. “Let me court you…”

 

An exasperated sigh slipped from Matthew’s lips as he rubbed his face tiredly, propping his chin on the man’s shoulder. “ _ Allistor _ , I just told you that I can’t. You’ll be in too much danger. My enemies are more powerful and have more resources than you could possibly imagine, and I’m not going to let you die for me or let you be put into any position where you could be used by them. If those bounty hunters from earlier have any sort of decent contacts or are able to make the connection with what they discovered, then I’m going to have a whole armada out after me and my crew. You and your family don’t need to be put into the middle of that.”

 

The gravity of Matthew’s words finally seemed to be setting in, because Allistor pulled back and gave the blonde a long, indecipherable look. Glancing around, he placed his hand into Matthew’s and pulled him out of the alley and down the street, keeping to the shadows. It made Matthew’s head spin. “Is this connection in relation to this Alfred person, or to ye not being human?”

 

The question made Matthew flinch.  _ So he really believes what Lukas had ended up saying…  _ He waited a few more moments as they twisted their way between the roads until their route began to take a bit more of an upward slope. It was then that Matthew realized that they were heading up towards the Tower of Hercules, the ancient lighthouse that was also a part of the city’s coat of arms.

 

“Well? What’s yer answer?” Allistor asked as they came to a stop up on the hill, overlooking the Atlantic.

 

Matthew sighed, rubbing his face and looking out at the star-speckled water. The sea breeze swirled the cloak around him. “Both. It’s a long, complicated story that involves my family, and I guess you could chalk it all up to a big family drama…”

 

Allistor crossed his arms over his chest, half-looking out at the ocean while still focusing on Matthew. “The violin… Ye had said that it was yer mother’s?” He tilted his chin towards the case that was hidden on Matthew’s back. “It’s a pretty old and valuable piece. All wood, no metal from the way it sounded, if I’m not mistaken. How did she get it? Was it passed down through yer family?”

 

Letting out a deep breath, Matthew pushed the hood off his head and turned toward Allistor. “Yes, the violin is--  _ was _ my mother’s. She was given it by my father.” It had been so long since he had said those words that they left a feeling like cotton in his mouth. “She treasured it for a very long time, but then she was killed in a fire that had claimed her life, and I thought that the violin ended up being lost along with her…”

 

There were a few moments of silence between the men. “Does this have anything to do with the knife that ye left in my care?” Allistor raised an eyebrow, and it took a moment for Matthew to remember which knife that the Scotsman meant: the one with Matthew’s family crest on it.

 

Opening his mouth to respond, Matthew was cut off by an unfamiliar voice calling Allistor’s name. It sounded urgent, and the redhead seemed to recognize the voice, instantly tensing and rushing towards the redheaded woman that was charging up the hill towards them.

 

“Allistor! Thank the gods I’ve finally found ye. We’ve got a bloody fuck hell of a problem down in the main square,” she explained between breaths, her hand resting tightly against the hilt of the sword at her hip. She seemed to be favoring one leg and Matthew could see blood trickling from a cut near her shoulder. He quickly recognized her as Allistor’s sister.

 

“Niamh! What happened?” Allistor asked. His entire body seemed to have gone tense, his muscles taut as though expecting to jump into action.

 

The next words out of her mouth nearly made Matthew’s blood freeze. “It’s Arthur. He’s surrounded by thugs. Dylan and the white-haired guy are with him and trying to fight their way out of there, but it isn’t looking pretty--”

 

“They’re supposed to be on the ship.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Allistor and Niamh turned towards him, both raising an eyebrow. Even he could hear the fear and desperation that was creeping into his voice. “They were supposed to wait on the ship. They weren’t supposed to have left.”

 

“Well, pretty boy, they’re definitely not on yer ship right now,” Niamh said simply.

 

The only thought that ran through Matthew’s mind as he charged past the siblings and down towards the heart of the city, ignoring the way Allistor called after him, was that he was going to kick Gilbert’s ass once all of this was over. If they were all even alive by the end of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Celosia here! Finally back with another update!  
> Sorry that it's been so long; I've been working on several other fanfic projects these past couple of weeks and I was focusing on getting those done. They're posted up on my Tumblr @celosia-starfall for those who want to read them. Or you can find four of them here on AO3: "Hieroglyphics," "Once Upon a Starlit Night," "In the Fields of Flanders," and "French Perfume." I'm definitely planning in the near future on expanding more on the story "Hieroglyphics" and possibly writing a sequel to it or just making it a multi-chapter fic. I'm not quite sure yet what I want to do.  
> But as always, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter of "Of Feathers & Roses" and I'll hopefully be able to get back to weekly updates, work permitting.


	14. A Storm's Brewing

“I should kick your bloody arse for this…” Arthur hissed between clenched teeth, dodging an enemy sword thrust and bringing his own sword up to parry. “Remind me again why I let you talk me into this, Gilbert?”

 

The pirate captain merely let out an obnoxious laugh that was fueled by the heat of battle. “Because you need to live a little!”

 

“Well, I’d much rather stay  _ alive _ by any means,” Arthur shot back, rolling his eyes. “We should’ve just stayed on the ship like we were supposed to while Matthew finished up…”

 

Admittedly, if Arthur had known that their little escapade would’ve resulted in the pair being surrounded and extremely outnumbered by a sizeable group of bandits--or possibly mercenaries, it was hard to tell--once several of them had started a ruckus after recognizing The Captain Kirkland, then Arthur wouldn't have accepted Gilbert's offer of exploring the town. Although, he did find the man's excitement to explore rather endearing and Arthur had found himself unable to say no.

 

“Aww, c’mon Artie! It’s not that bad!” Gilbert called as he whirled past the blonde captain, sword clashing against an enemy’s before he delivered a swift kick to the man’s knee and made the bandit crash to the ground.

 

“How about you two stop talking and focus on fighting our way out of here?” Dylan yelled from another corner of the square.

 

It made Arthur roll his eyes. "What do you  _ think _ we're doing?" In all honesty though, he was grateful that Dylan and Niamh had ended up finding him. How they had actually managed to track him down all the way to La Coruña, he didn't know, but he was grateful to them all the same. It felt good to have someone at his back that he knew he could trust, to have his family back with him.

 

Maybe Gilbert was right though. He did need to live a little. It felt like it had been ages since he had felt the thrill of adrenaline coursing through his veins, since the last time that he had a challenge like this. It had been ages since he had felt like he’d had any type of challenge  _ at all _ . But being this severely outnumbered nearly ten to one left an electric buzz of excitement running through him.

 

"On your left!"

 

A blur of steel flashed past Arthur’s face as he dodged out of the way of a throwing knife that had been hurled towards his head. He’d need to thank Gilbert for that later.

 

However, despite his persistence and perseverance with each sword thrust and parry that he sent in the directions of the enemies, Arthur found himself in an ever-shrinking circle until he and Gilbert and Dylan were all standing nearly back to back, driven backwards and cornered by the wall of a tall building. Laughter rose up around the men, mocking them for the predicament that the pirates had found themselves in.

 

“Gods, I hope Niamh finds Allistor soon…” Dylan mumbled, his free hand pushing his messy brown hair back out of his face as he scowled at the surrounding men. It wasn’t often that the rather light-hearted musician bore a scowl, but it seemed like tonight would be one of those few exceptions.

 

Arthur had to agree with his brother though. They were at a complete disadvantage and outnumbered. Even with Niamh and Allistor both there, Arthur wasn’t sure if they were likely to win even with their help, even with as fearsome of fighters as there are. No, they’d need a miracle to get out of that mess alive.

 

It was only then that Arthur spotted a familiar cloak running down a hill towards the square, a relieved smirk soon sliding onto his face. "Allistor!" The relief of his brother’s appearance nearly made Arthur dizzy at the prospect of escaping alive, now that they stood a bit more of a chance. It wasn’t until the figure had gotten closer though that Arthur realized the man had  _ blonde _ hair, not the red of his brother’s. The brief relief that he had felt was replaced with worry.  _ What had happened to Allistor? _

 

“Halt! Sheathe your weapons! Those men are mine!” the figure called out once he was close enough, knocking out the enemy men as he pushed his way through the crowd to stand protectively in front of the three pirates. "Who is your leader? I demand an audience!"

 

It was only then that Arthur realized that it was  _ Matthew _ who had come to their rescue: the anger in his voice, the golden head of curls revealed when he pushed the hood off, the purple eyes glinting in the moonlight.

 

There was a brief murmuring among the men before the crowd seemed to hesitantly part and a tall man stepped forward. He was an intimidating fellow who stood at least a good two feet taller than Matthew, and Arthur knew that Matthew was no small man. His shoulders were broad with bulging muscles and a thick beard fell to his chest. His eyes glittered darkly, menacingly with the intent to kill and a lust for bloodshed. The sword that he carried looked nearly as long as the man was tall.

 

Matthew didn't seem fazed in the slightest, only irritated.

 

"Aye, I’m Captain Roberts. I'm the one who commands these men. And who are you, bug?" The man spit at Matthew's feet. "You keep dangerous pets around…"

 

"Who I am is of no relevance to the likes of  _ you _ . What matters is that your men attacked mine on neutral ground. Ground that is meant to be a safe space--"

 

"Well then...obviously you and your men didn't get the memo." The man thumbed the edge of his blade, the reflected light illuminating the scars on his face. "By royal decree from the Emperor, this town is no longer regarded as a safe zone, and any fugitives or pirates are to be treated as fair game, and whoever brings the Emperor their heads will be handsomely rewarded."

 

"What?"

 

The word had fallen numbly from Matthew's lips, and it echoed just as numbly in Arthur's chest.  _ We just walked into a death trap. What the bloody hell are we supposed to do now? Where are Allistor and Niamh? They didn't already get caught, did they? Please, please say that they're not dead. I'm not ready to lose them… _

 

They had to come up with some sort of plan. There had to be  _ some  _ way out of the mess that they had found themselves in. At least it seemed like Matthew had an idea, hopefully.

 

Matthew straightened his back, staring up at the man. "I propose a duel. Captain to captain. If I win, then you and your men will allow us to retreat for the night. If you win, then we will surrender ourselves to you with no struggle."

 

That was not what Arthur would've liked to hear. Was Matthew really so confident that he would win against a man of that size? It seemed impossible! Arthur knew better than to speak up or object, or to draw attention to himself when Matthew was putting his own neck out on the line to save them. Not that Arthur liked the idea of being saved yet again.

 

A hand on Arthur's shoulder made him flinch in surprise, glancing over to see Gilbert's reassuring smile. "It's okay. Birdie knows what he's doing. Just trust him, okay?" Gilbert whispered. "Everything's going to be fine."

 

"You better be right, Gilbert," Arthur muttered, glancing back towards where Matthew was standing.

 

"Is that so, eh?" Roberts laughed, his cronies echoing him. With a wave of his hand, the men quieted, and the monster of a captain sneered down at Matthew. "Alright then. I'll humor you. And since you and your men seem so  _ confident _ in your abilities, then let's up the stakes, shall we? Let it be a duel to the death!” The men behind him erupted in a chorus of cheers, eager for blood.

 

Arthur himself merely felt sick.  _ Savages, the whole lot of them. Surely Matthew wouldn’t so easily agree-- _

 

“Alright. I accept your conditions,” Matthew stated, lifting his chin as he shrugged off Allistor’s cloak and handed it to Arthur. “To the death, it is.” There was a wooden case on his back that Arthur couldn’t quite tell what it was or what it may have contained, but Matthew handed it over to Dylan, of all people, with a low murmur not to let anything happen to it.

 

“Of course, Captain,” Dylan murmured with a bow, playing along with the ruse that had been created that they were a part of Matthew’s crew.

 

Arthur still didn’t understand why Matthew was so willing to sacrifice his own life for the wellbeing of Arthur and his brother. By all intents and purposes, they had been enemies, playing a back-and-forth tug-of-war of whom could capture whom. So what had changed?

 

The captain’s lackeys had pulled back, creating an open ring for the two combatants as Matthew stepped forward. It was only then that Arthur realized that the blonde didn’t have a weapon.

 

“He’s gone mad,” Arthur hissed under his breath, gaze flicking between Matthew and Roberts before glancing up at the sky when the first rumbles of thunder were heard in the distance.

 

"A storm's brewing…" came a murmur on his right, and as he glanced over, relief nearly made his knees weak to see Allistor and Niamh had finally joined their group. It had been Allistor who had spoken, concern evident on his face flushed with exertion. "What the bloody hell is Matthew doing?"

 

Dylan placed a hand on Allistor's arm when it looked as though the redhead was about to muscle his way into the makeshift arena towards the blonde. "They're about to duel...to the death."

 

" _ What? _ "

 

The look of horror on Allistor’s face mirrored the feeling that Arthur felt in his stomach, but he wasn't going to show it. His gaze was already transfixed on the pair of men in the circle as they stalked around each other, looking for an opening in order to strike.

 

"Ha! You're a fool if you think that you can win against me with only your bare hands. You might as well surrender now, little pirate," Roberts boasted, spitting on the ground between them.

 

"I've had plenty of men bigger than you say the same thing," Matthew retorted dully though there was a smirk on his face. "Their heads still rolled just the same."

 

That seemed to be the trigger, Roberts's nostrils flaring. "Why you impudent little--!" He charged at Matthew, hefting the five foot sword to bring it down on top of the blonde's head. Only to have it hit the ground where Matthew  _ had _ been standing as he nimbly dodged to the side, his hands curled defensively in front of him.

 

There was a small crater in the ground where the sword had landed, and Arthur had no doubt that had it hit Matthew, the pirate would've been dead, sliced clean in half.

 

The dance continued on like that for several more moments as gusts of wind whipped through the square and the first hints of rain misted against Arthur's face. Roberts lashing out with his sword. Matthew dodging the attacks. He even managed to land a few hits on Roberts's back and sides before dancing out of range, his movements seeming to be moving in time with the rolling thunder overhead. It only seemed to infuriate the man though.

 

Matthew leaped, kicking the captain in the kidneys with enough force to send him tumbling to the ground amidst the onlookers and his sword sliding across the cobblestones. Pushing his hair back out of his face, Matthew raised an eyebrow, rolling his shoulders. "And here I would have expected more from one of the emperor's men. I'm severely disappointed."

 

Arthur clicked his tongue, furrowing his eyebrows.  _ What the hell does he think he's doing? Is Matthew just toying with the man? Where's his sense of urgency? We need to get out of here and take cover from this storm. _

 

"He doesn't like killing," came the whisper from his left, Gilbert flinching from the water that blew into his eyes. "He'll usually do whatever he can to make his opponent beg for mercy and allow them to live. He prefers only taking a life if he absolutely has to. That's not to say that he hasn't mercilessly killed people who deserved it though…"

 

Arthur's lips pressed into a thin line, watching as Roberts stumbled to his feet and charged towards Matthew. All the blonde did was simply step out of the way and use the captain's momentum to hurl him onto the ground, several of the cobblestones cracking where he landed.

 

Stepping back, Matthew wiped his hands off on his pants,his rain-soaked hair plastering itself to his face or hanging in damp curls. Lightning arched across the sky, illuminating the grounds below and making it nearly as bright as day.

 

It was during that split second of light that Arthur saw it: a nameless assailant attempting to sneak up on Matthew with a knife. Before Arthur had a chance to even call out a warning though, Allistor was already one step ahead of him.

 

"Matthew! Behind you!"

 

In those next seconds, Arthur’s world slowed to a crawl.

 

Whirling around, Matthew was able to kick the knife out of the would-be assassin's hand, snatching the blade out of the air and plunging it down into the man's chest in the same swift movement. Kicking the body away, the blonde had begun to turn back around towards Roberts, but the enemy had already managed to pick up his sword. Matthew had already begun to try to dodge out of the way, but his timing was wrong and Roberts had the advantage of a longer range.

 

The five foot sword impaled itself through Matthew’s stomach as easily and effortlessly as if it was sliding through butter. Blood trickled from the corners of Matthew’s lips as his knees shook with the effort of remaining upright, and likely even conscious.

 

Arthur could feel Allistor fall to his knees on his right, Dylan’s support doing nothing to keep the redhead on his feet.

 

“You were nothing but talk! All your boasting and carrying on was nothing but hot air!” Roberts sneered down at Matthew, one hand gripping him by the collar of his shirt. He spit off to the side. “You’re a pathetic, measly, weak captain. You deserve to die, and I’ll be  _ glad _ to have my men wipe out every last one of you scum…”

 

“At least I have honor. You are nothing but a coward.” The laugh that fell from Matthew’s lips stopped Roberts in his tracks. “And I’m not dead yet…”

 

It was difficult to see against the rain, but Arthur swore he could see some sort of energy gathering around Matthew. A static electric charge seemed to surge around the man, making it look like purple lightning was dancing across his skin and jumping between the locks of his hair. His hand tightly gripped Roberts's wrist, not allowing the man to remove the sword or move away despite his struggles to do so.

 

_ What is that aura? Is it...magic? But it can't be! Magic doesn't...exist... _

 

"The emperor and Carriedo will have your head! I swear to it!" Roberts yelled frantically, morphing into a scream of pain as Matthew delivered a kick strong enough to shatter one of the man's kneecaps. "You're a monster! What kind of demon are you?"

 

"I…am the Dark Prince of Drontheim." Matthew laughed as thunder echoed above their heads, his grip tightening on the captain's hand until Roberts screamed in pain. Arthur could only imagine. "Tell me… Do you know how fast lightning is?"

 

Before the man could blink or mutter a retort, Matthew stepped closer to the man, using Roberts's good leg as leverage to be able to flip free of Roberts’s hold and into the air, ripping the sword free of his stomach. The blade had already sliced through Roberts's neck before Matthew's feet had touched the ground. It wasn't until a few delayed seconds later that the man's body had collapsed and his head rolled off into the stunned crowd.

 

"Go! Tell your  _ emperor _ that his head is next!"

 

The onlookers scattered like mice, yells of fear and anger echoing throughout the square.

 

Whatever aura that Arthur had seen surrounding Matthew was gone now as the blonde stumbled and dropped the dead man’s sword to the ground. Allistor was already on his feet and rushing towards Matthew before Arthur had even managed to take a step. Gilbert nudged Arthur's shoulder, urging the pirate captain forward with Dylan and Niamh right on their heels.

 

Before any of them could reach where Matthew was standing though, three shadowy figures had already appeared and were surrounding the injured blonde.

 

Arthur tensed.  _ An ambush!? Are they going to finish him off while he's so gravely injured? _

 

However, as they rushed forward and lightning lit up the sky, Arthur could make out two of the faces, both of which shouldn't have been out there. "Liam? Ludwig? What are you doing out here?" he asked incredulously.

 

Gilbert, on the other hand, slung his arms around the two teens, ruffling up their wet hair. "Ahhh! It feels so good to have the family back together again!"

 

Liam patted Gilbert's arm, though his gaze was locked on his three older siblings. His green eyes were darkened by hurt. "Why didn't ye tell me? Why didn't ye tell me that it was  _ them _ ? That Wesley and Eugene were still alive? That it was  _ them _ that we've been running into? Ye never tell me anything, and I'm tired of it! They were like family; Wesley was  _ my friend _ !"

 

"Liam…" Ludwig murmured, his hand resting firmly on the freckled teen's shoulder. All Liam could do in response was cross his arms, turning his back on Arthur and the others.

 

Still, as Arthur glanced between his other siblings, he could tell that those names meant something to them, though Allistor was too busy staring at the dark-haired figure that was hovering protectively in front of Matthew. Arthur felt as though he had briefly seen the man in passing when he was aboard Gilbert's ship, but he wouldn't have been able to put a name to him even if he had tried.

 

"I'm glad that I arrived in time," the man was murmuring to Matthew, one of his hands helping to press against the exit wound in the blonde's back. "You are lucky that the sword missed your vital organs." This time he turned to address everyone. "I still believe that it would be best if we went back to our ship, not only to heal but I believe that perhaps some explanations are in order?" The man raised an eyebrow at Matthew who sighed, his shoulders drooping as he increased the pressure on his stomach.

 

"Yes, Kiku, I believe that you're right because that man," he nodded his head towards the decapitated body, "was one of Carriedo's men." The name was said with venom, Matthew's nose scrunching up in distaste.

 

For some reason that Arthur couldn't place, the name felt familiar and left a bitter taste on the back of his tongue, as if he had bitten into a lemon. Someone else recognized the name though, and it wasn't who Arthur would have expected.

 

" _ Carriedo? _ " Liam hissed, his eyes wide. "That's the bastard that killed our mother! He's the one that killed  _ Peter _ !"

 

All at once it felt like Arthur's world imploded around him, his eyes widening as it became difficult for him to breathe.

 

"Peter?"

 

The last thing he saw was the ground rushing towards him as the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, here's the next chapter! I wanted to to get it published sooner than I did, but I was sick over the weekend and couldn't finish it then. I'm really happy with how it turned out though! And I hope all of you enjoyed reading it!


	15. Prince of Two Kingdoms

Matthew winced, his grip tight on Allistor's hand as Kiku stitched together the gash in his stomach. Allistor could only imagine the pain that he was going through without the use of any anesthetics. It only made him want to protect the blonde even more.

 

Though admittedly, Matthew didn't necessarily need protection. Feliks's words still rang in Allistor's ears.  _ He may be a damn good fighter, deadly when he wants to be… _

 

Allistor wondered if Feliks knew about Matthew's magic, about the lightning elemental coursing through his veins. It made Allistor wonder how he hadn't been able to see it before, and why he couldn't see it now.  _ He's not human. He admitted so himself. _

 

Even more perplexing were Matthew's earlier words.  _ The Dark Prince of Drontheim. I've never heard of such a place before. It's not been on any of the maps I've ever studied… And certainly not one having a Dark Prince… _

 

His gaze flickered over to where Arthur was lying unconscious on one of the other beds in the infirmary aboard Matthew's ship. His chest ached with worry for his younger brother. Arthur had been unconscious ever since Liam had said Peter's name, a name that all of the siblings had vowed to never say around Arthur ever since the night that the blonde had lost his memories during the attack on their village.

 

"He'll be okay," Kiku spoke up as he finished tying off the last of Matthew's stitches. "Arthur just needs rest in order for his mind to heal. From what I have managed to gather, Arthur has magic, but after a certain incident, he wanted to forget and ended up locking his memories away. It's just going to take a bit of time for his mind to process all of the lost information that it has suddenly regained. That's why he blacked out…" he explained gently as he helped Matthew into a sitting position and just as gently wrapped bandages around the blonde's stomach.

 

"We share a common enemy, that much I know," Matthew murmured, his thumb absentmindedly stroking the backs of Allistor's fingers. "Once we finish up here, we'll rejoin the others, and then…" He hesitated, staring down at his lap. "I think it'll be time to share what we know. I normally wouldn't do this while Arthur is still asleep, but we don't necessarily have the luxury of time since we don't know when Carriedo's next move may be."

 

Kiku merely hummed, stepping out of the way once he had finished tying off Matthew's bandages and handed him a new shirt. "I agree. Just do not strain yourself. I will stay here to watch over Arthur. I will let you know if there is any change in his condition."

 

Matthew bowed his head. "Thank you, Kiku. We couldn't have done any of this without you." Standing up after he slipped his shirt on, Matthew walked over to the door, Allistor close on his heels in case the blonde lost his balance.

 

It was only once they were out in the hallway that Allistor spoke, his voice a low whisper. "I'm glad that ye weren't killed." He still couldn't get the way that the sword had pierced Matthew out of his head though. He was sure that he was going to be having nightmares about it for a while now.

 

"Well," Matthew said slowly, glancing over at Allistor with a small smile as they stopped outside the door to Gilbert's office, "I have a lot to live for. I'm not going to die so easily."

 

"Aye…" Allistor murmured, his gaze locking with Matthew's for several lingering moments before he started to dip his head forward, hoping…

 

The office door opening dashed all of his hopes though. "Hey! Mattie! Glad that Kiku's done with you. We've been waiting!" Gilbert exclaimed, motioning for the pair to enter the room.

 

Allistor suppressed a groan as he trudged inside after Matthew. Dylan, Liam, and Ludwig were all already seated in the office along with a blonde that he only vaguely recognized. Niamh had headed back to their own ship in order to undock it and get it up in the air, that way none of the emperor's men would try to attack it, given the circumstances that had just previously transpired. She said that she would just get caught up on events later. No one had been in any mood to try to argue with her, and she'd had a point.

 

As Matthew took a seat on the edge of Gilbert's desk, Allistor settled himself against the wall, waiting for Matthew to speak. Even Gilbert seemed more sullenly than usual.

 

Sighing, Matthew ran his hand through his hair, glancing around at everyone to take in their faces. "I appreciate all of you being here. I know our crews have been clashing recently, but we're here right now because we face a common enemy. It is someone from both of our pasts who has inflicted terrible injustices on us, and that's why I believe that it's in our best interests to ally with one another to deliver our retribution."

 

Allistor glanced over at his two brothers, both of them listening with the intensity of suspense on their faces. Liam definitely looked the most eager, excited to finally be a part of the action and not left in the dark anymore.

 

"To understand the severity of the punishment that our enemies may take against us though, you all need to know everything that we are up against. Because there are things that I haven't told anyone, even you two Gilbert and Francis, and I can only hope that you can forgive me for keeping such big secrets from you. I had hoped that my silence would protect you, but the time for silence has come to an end…"

 

"Do not worry,  _ cher _ ," Francis murmured, swirling a glass of wine between his fingers. "Everything that you have ever done has been to protect us, just as we once protected you. I only wish we could have protected you more…"

 

Matthew let out a shaky breath, nodding his head at Francis before turning back to the rest of the room. "I guess I'll start at the beginning then. I was born the eldest child of Queen Marianne and King Ignatius of Arcadia, and as such, I was to be the heir to the throne.”

 

_ The dagger. The royal crest. That’s what that had meant; or where and who, more specifically. _

 

“It was only a few short years later that they had a second son. Alfred. They loved him very much, but...eventually love alone wasn't enough for Alfred, especially after he learned that he wouldn't be able to be king. But that wouldn't be until many years later." He cleared his throat. "As a member of the royal family, I was assigned two knights to protect me and guard me from any whom would do me harm. Those knights were Antonio Fernández Carriedo and Francis Bonnefoy."

 

"At your service, my liege," Francis spoke up with a flourish of his hand and a bow, somehow managing to pull both off without spilling his now-full glass of wine.

 

"Antonio and Francis were best friends, and I had considered them to be very dear friends of mine as well. That was, of course, when Gilbert had entered the picture, upon request from his grandfather, Alaric Adelbert. Gilbert, of course, had gone by a much different name at the time: Eugene Adelbert, which I am sure is the name that all of you are far more familiar with and recognize.

 

"Eugene was skilled. Exceptionally skilled, in fact, and quickly became promoted to one of the royal guards. More specifically, one of  _ my _ knights before quickly achieving the rank of Guard-Captain. By this time, I think Antonio became jealous that Eugene had been so quickly moving through the ranks and even surpassed his own rank, because I know that used to be all that Antonio used to talk about, his dream of becoming the Captain of the Guard…

 

"Somewhere along the way, Antonio allied himself with Alfred, both of them becoming entangled by the jealousy that they began to feel. That was when the first stages of the coup began. And somewhere along the way, I believe that Antonio discovered where Eugene's home village was,  _ your _ home, and went there himself to make sure that the people that Eugene loved either disappeared or suffered immensely. I didn't know that it was Antonio who had planned the attack until later though...in an attempt to provoke riots and start a war…nor did I know that my brother was also guilty of conspiring against me.”

 

Allistor could still remember the attack like it was yesterday. The heat of the flames against his face, the constricting fear in his chest, the overwhelming grief at the fate of his family… At the fate of their  _ home _ … To be betrayed by your own blood though was something that Allistor couldn't ever fathom.

 

"All of the war, the riots, the enemies taking my kingdom's land and destroying everyone's homes, was all their doing… I believe your family was among the refugees that eventually sought sanctuary in the capital, as I know that Gilbert," Matthew nodded towards the white-haired man, "had mentioned previously that when he had been patrolling one day, he had come across Arthur in the square, stealing food from one of the merchants there, but Arthur had ended up running away before Gilbert--then named Eugene--could catch up to him."

 

"I had missed him a lot…" Gilbert murmured, his gaze distant. "I couldn't figure out why he would run away from me or why he had never tried to find me or message me before… I guess we know now why, and why he couldn't remember though…"

 

Matthew gave the man a sympathetic glance before continuing. "At that time, I had been in my private chambers, studying and practicing, naturally with Antonio and Francis guarding my quarters. It was late, and there ended up being a commotion at the door. Antonio had burst in with a bleeding and weak Francis, telling me that I was in danger and that we needed to leave immediately. It wasn't until I had gotten too close that Antonio had tossed Francis to the side and grabbed me by my hair and held a knife to my throat, telling me that my brother was the one that should be king and that he was going to rule at my brother's side.

 

"If it hadn't been for Eugene happening to come to the room, then both Francis and I would've been killed that night. As it was, Eugene and Antonio fought, and Antonio managed to cut him across the eyes and then stab him in the chest before running off. But not before he sent the entire wing of the castle up in flames. It was only by a miracle that Lovino had managed to get to the three of us and help us get to Kiku and Ludwig to help all of us escape from the castle…”

 

Liam raised his hand, his eyes wide. If Allistor weren’t afraid of coming off as rude, he might’ve laughed at his little brother’s excitement and rapt fascination with Matthew’s story. “Who’s Lovino?”

 

“Ah…” Matthew rubbed his chin before gingerly propping himself up on the edge of the desk, his hand cradling his stomach. “Lovino is...a very dear friend to me. He had been sent both as a diplomat and also as a sort of...gift or peace offering from the Roman Empire. He was appointed as my herald soon after he had arrived, and he was often at my side.” The small smile that had been growing on Matthew’s face was quick to fade. “Lovino stayed behind after he helped the other five of us to escape the castle and abscond with one of the airships, because he said that it would end up being too suspicious if he just disappeared as well. We still haven’t been able to find word of what had happened to him after our escape. We’ve been searching off and on ever since then, but…” He shared a glance with Gilbert and Francis before his gaze settled on Allistor. “I fear what may have become of him at the hands of my brother and Antonio.”

 

This time it was Dylan who raised his hand, concern on his face and also confusion. “So Eugene and Gilbert are the same person… Back when we had been around Eugene, he looked nothing like…” He waved his hand vaguely at Gilbert. “Eugene had blonde hair and blue eyes, not white and red. What happened with that?”

 

For the first time, Matthew hesitated, his gaze focusing not on Gilbert but rather on Ludwig. The teen had been quiet throughout the entire conversation, but now he rose to his feet, standing in front of Matthew.

 

"It's okay. I'll tell them…" Clearing his throat, Ludwig faced everyone, clasping his hands together. "Due to the wounds that he had sustained in his fight with Antonio, Eugene ended up dying on our airship as we were leaving Arcadian airspace. But because I didn't want to lose another sibling… Because I didn't want to lose my older brother… I did everything that I could to bring him back to life, and I succeeded. However, due to the stress that his body had undergone from dying and being reanimated, it caused his hair to turn white. His eyes had been too damaged by Antonio's blade to be able to be salvaged, and as such, I spent the time creating the technology to create new implants. The color was of Gilbert's choosing. He'd said that if we had all been presumed dead as it had been announced to the people that we were, then it would be better if he didn't look like he had in his previous life… That's when we had started creating the rumors and stories about the notorious Captain Beilschmidt..."

 

Allistor spared a glance at Gilbert, raising an eyebrow as he looked him over. The man had given his life to protect Matthew, quite literally, and it made Allistor have a newfound sense of respect and appreciation for the former knight. Even though their families had been close to each other at one point in time, Allistor regretted not spending as much time as he wished he could've with the Adelberts, especially with as much tragedy that had befallen both.

 

_ I can't let you do that. I've already had too many people die for me, and I'm not going to let you end up being one of them. _

 

The words that Matthew had whispered to him when they had been alone echoed in his ears. It made so much more sense now. The death, the powerful enemies, the reckless selflessness… It all accumulated into Matthew's fear of being close to anyone, of being attached to anyone… Perhaps there even being a fear of the burden of leadership…

 

"Once Gilbert was healed and had taken on his new name, that was when we began our crusade against the expanding Arcadian Empire," Matthew spoke up once again, gently patting Ludwig's shoulder and motioning for the teen to sit down, "against the empire that my brother has been creating. And while Alfred and I may not be identical twins, or even twins at all, our faces are unfortunately pretty damn similar to each other. Which is why I've always been wearing some kind of mask or disguise whenever you've seen me."

 

"Except for tonight," Allistor interjected, his thoughts instantly going back to the bounty hunters that recognized Matthew's face at the White Eagle.

 

Matthew hesitantly nodded in agreement, probably mentally berating himself for being so careless, for thinking that he would be safe in what he had thought was friendly territory. "Except for tonight…" he murmured.

 

There was a moment of silence between the group until Dylan raised his hand again with Matthew motioning for him to speak. “The violin. Before you fought Roberts, you handed me a case that had a violin in it. On the case, there was a royal crest, but it wasn’t the one that belonged to the house of the Kingdom of Arcadia. It was something...Other.”

 

_ Other… _ Allistor knew what that meant without his brother having to spell it out.  _ Fae… One of the royal crests of Faerie… _

 

That was when all of the dots suddenly connected in Allistor’s mind as Matthew’s previous words about the violin echoed in his mind just as the pirate prince repeated them aloud before continuing the story.

 

“The violin was my mother’s. She had been given it by my father. She treasured it for a very long time, but then she was killed in a fire that had claimed her life, and I had thought that the violin ended up being lost along with her… And it was after our mother’s death that Alfred learned the truth…” Matthew took a shaky breath, clasping his hands together on his lap. An apologetic smile spread across his lips as he looked between Francis and Gilbert. “I’m sorry that I’ve never told either of you, but I feared that it would only put your lives in unnecessary danger, and both of you have already lost so much by dedicating your lives to my service… I didn’t want to risk either of you any more.”

 

Francis raised an eyebrow from behind his wine glass. “Matthew,  _ cher _ , we were nearly murdered in a coup, proclaimed dead, committed grand theft of royal property, proceeded to become notorious wanted pirates, and continue to steal from and sabotage your brother’s empire. If that isn’t unnecessary danger, then I don’t know what is.” Matthew seemed to deflate a bit, opening his mouth to retort, but Francis was already continuing with a smile. “If we weren’t prepared for danger, then we wouldn’t have been willing to follow you as far as we have. We’re with you until the end, Matthew.”

 

“Yeah! Besides,” Gilbert stated, patting Matthew on the shoulder with a gentleness that surprised Allistor, “you’re more than just some prince that we swore to protect. You’re our friend, and our family, and you're the one that's kept us alive and together. We wouldn't leave you even if you told us to."

 

There was a brief pause as Matthew bit his lip and stared at the floor. Running a hand through his hair, he gave a small nod. "As I said, after our mother died, Alfred ended up learning the truth and it became one of the reasons, perhaps the main reason, why his resent of me grew and he viewed me as an illegitimate heir to the throne which became the driving factor for him to plan the coup in the first place."

 

He grew quiet for several moments, and it was the first time that Allistor noticed that dark circles that sagged beneath the man's violet eyes. The words that came from his mouth next left a shocked silence in their wake. "King Ignatius wasn't my father… My mother had been secretly betrothed to another man before the arrangements were made for her to be married to the king. She had only been pregnant with me for two weeks before she was married to Ignatius… The violin was a wedding gift to my mother from my birth father. A cruel irony, as it was…

 

"I don't know how Alfred found out that Ignatius wasn't my father, but I know that he felt like he was the sole true heir. That because I wasn't actually blood-descended from the King, that I have no true claim to the throne and that I cheated him out of his future and his destiny… That's why he tried to have Antonio kill us. To be able to take the throne…" Matthew murmured, wringing his hands in his lap.

 

An awkward silence fell over the room, the only sounds the distant thrum of the skyship's engines and the wind outside. Gilbert and Francis looked as if they weren't sure what to believe. Admittedly, if Allistor hadn't already known that Matthew wasn't completely human, he would've been shocked as well. However, just because he wasn't the king's son, it didn't make Matthew have any less of a right to the throne in Allistor's eyes. He could only hope that the two former knights would see it the same way.

 

The silence was broken by a question from Ludwig. "Who else knows?"

 

Matthew let out a heavy breath. "I'm not sure how many people know. But I do know that Kiku knows… He's known ever since I was born. He was the one that had helped my mother deliver me after all," he stated with a wry smile. "As far as anyone else, it all depends on how many people that my brother and Antonio have ended up telling. But as far as they know, I'm dead, so I see no reason for them to have said anything."

 

"Who's yer da?" Liam asked, his face the picture of childish curiosity.

 

The question caused a grim expression to spread across Matthew’s face. A heavy weight seemed to fill the room, as if the question were a tangible substance, and Allistor could’ve sworn that he could smell the faintest scent of ozone permeating the air of the office.

 

It was then that Matthew fixed Liam with a serious stare, making the young teen shrink back and his smile fade. “Do you believe in fairies?”

 

“Of course, I do!” Liam boasted, his smile returning full-force although it was quick to fade again once he continued talking. “Our whole family can see them. Or at least… Arthur  _ used to _ be able to see them too, but…that was before Peter and Mum were killed.”

 

Allistor flinched at the blunt statement, pushing back the memories that threatened to surface in his mind: the smell of smoke and brimstone, the screams of the villagers, the laughter of the invading soldiers. He had been out hunting in the forest when it had happened, and he couldn’t help but to blame himself for the fate that had befallen his broken family.

 

The faintest flush rose to his cheeks when he noticed the subtle raising of Matthew’s eyebrow as the blonde discreetly glanced over in his direction.  _ He saw that, didn’t he? _ It was still a tender subject, after all, and the older siblings had done as much as they could to shield their amnesiac younger brother from the harsh cruelties that life had bestowed upon them.  _ It didn't work out in the end though, now did it? _

 

"Tell me what you know about fairies.”

 

It was Dylan who spoke. “When the world was greener and not filled with iron and steel as it is now, the Fair Folk used to live in abundance among our world. However, as humans began to grow their technologies, they began to destroy the planet’s forests and waters and pollute everything in their path. That was when the fairies began to withdraw to their own lands and reside solely within their own Courts, cutting off their interactions with humans. Those Courts are known as the Seelie and the Unseelie. Their rulers have continued to be at war with each other for centuries to this day.”

 

Matthew held up a hand for silence. “You’re...mostly correct. Queen Titania, the ruler of the Seelie Court, and King Oberon, the ruler of the Unseelie Court, have long since united the two courts in a marital union, and to seal that union, they conceived a child together who would become the new ruler of the newly united courts once he became of age. The Court of Drontheim. They had felt that their future, and the future of Faerie, would be more secure if they united together against the human threat, and thus they banded together and moved their subjects to where humans weren’t able to find them, eventually fading from mortal memory.” A small mischievous smile tugged at Matthew’s lips, a glint of mirth dancing in his eyes. “Of course, that didn’t stop a rebellious young prince from venturing out and falling in love with a mortal woman…” His smile faded as his gaze drifted to his lap.

 

_ Titania and Oberon are his grandparents… His father is the King of Faeries, and his mother is the Queen of Arcadia... That would make him the prince of two kingdoms. Two very different kingdoms. I could hardly imagine the burden that must rest upon his shoulders… _

 

Liam’s nose scrunched up as he blurted out, “But ye don’t look like a fairy!”

 

“ _ Liam! _ ” Allistor hissed, but Matthew was already chuckling.

 

“It’s fine, Allistor,” Matthew murmured, shooting him a grin that made his heart stutter in his chest. “I know he means no harm by it.” Turning back to Liam, he clasped his hands in front of him. “And no, I don’t look like a fairy, but that’s mostly because I’m half human. The other reason is because I do have magic that conceals any...fairy traits that I have. Even people with the Sight, such as yourselves, shouldn’t be capable of seeing past the spell.”

 

Allistor could hear the frown in Matthew’s voice, and he knew that he was thinking back to the way that the bounty hunter Lukas was able to see through to Matthew’s true form, even though Allistor himself hadn’t been able to. Allistor could only guess that it had to do with the dark corruption that he had sensed within the man.  _ Just what kind of being did Lukas end up making a bargain with for that kind of power? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the delay on the next chapter! I've had a lot of work piled on me recently, so I haven't been getting too much time to be able to write, but I finally finished it!  
> We've also managed to hit a milestone for the story, reaching over 50 kudos now! I just want to thank everyone that's left a kudos or comment on this story or who has subscribed. It definitely means a lot to me, and gives me the motivation to keep writing.  
> I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story and looks forward to the next chapter!


	16. Always Ever You

"Artie? When's Allistor and Niamh going to be back?" Liam asked, green eyes wide as he swung his feet back and forth from where he sat on his chair.

 

Arthur rolled his eyes as he sorted through the piles of herbs that were on the table in front of him. “I don’t bloody know! Whenever they find something to eat. They’re hunting. There’s no telling how long they’ll be gone.”

 

Of course it had ended up being Arthur who was forced to watch after their younger sibling while the others were out and about. It didn't really seem fair, in a way, not when he had just turned eighteen and was still being told what to do by the others. But at this point, it felt like it was just his siblings trying to keep him occupied with other things. Things that were supposed to keep his mind off of the nearly crushing feeling that would threaten to overwhelm him.

 

_ They don't understand… They'll never truly understand… They don't know what it's like to be in love… to love someone so deeply and completely, only to be ripped away from each other by other people that constantly try to dictate how you should live your life… When are  _ **_we_ ** _ ever going to be allowed to live our own lives and not the lives that other people want us to live…? It’s not fair… I should just leave, run away, leave everything behind-- _

 

“Arthur, love? What’s wrong?”

 

The blonde blinked up from the herbs that he had absentmindedly shredded into a pile, green eyes blearily staring over at the blonde-haired woman standing in the doorway with a small child propped on her hip. A small sigh escaped Arthur’s lips as he offered a half-smile. “Mum… I’m fine. Liam’s just been a pain in the arse, that’s all.”

 

“Hey!” Liam huffed indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest with a sullen pout. “Well, Arthur’s been nothing but a big meanie!” he exclaimed, sticking his tongue out at the elder sibling before scrambling off the chair and going over to their mother, hugging onto her leg.

 

It only made their mother smile and chuckle, setting the toddler onto the ground. “Now, now, boys…” she murmured, smoothing down Liam’s hair before the ten year old busied himself with playing with Peter, the small child mimicking Liam’s earlier action of sticking his tongue out at Arthur.

 

Huffing in indignation, Arthur rolled his eyes and began to busy himself with the herbs on the table once again. It was only when his mother’s hand rested upon his shoulder that his motions stilled.

 

“Ye should know better by now than to lie to me, Arthur… I can tell that your heart is hurting...”

 

Arthur’s eyes widened as he tensed, but there was no anger or disappointment in her voice. Just sadness. “I’m sorry, Mum…” he whispered, sighing as her hand gently cupped Arthur’s cheek and tilted his head toward her. “I’m just...not happy here.”

 

“You miss Eugene,” she murmured, her fingers brushing against the leather cord that rested against his neck.

 

A deep flush spread across his cheeks, the weight of the ring at the end of the cord heavy against his chest. He wanted to outwardly deny his feelings, to say that things weren’t that way. How would his mother even reacted to her son being in love with a man? Would she disown him? Cast him out of their house?

 

“I miss Wesley!” Liam piped up from the floor, the pout prominent on his lips making his freckles stand out that much more. “It’s not fair that they had to move away. Why couldn’t just Eugene go and learn how to be a knight without all of the others? He would’ve been with his grandfather!”

 

Arthur bit his lip, scowling down at the redhead. “Because it was easier for them all to have a life there since their father had passed away.” He hated it, but it was true.  _ Besides, Lord Alaric was simply trying to take care of his daughter. You can’t hate the man for trying to take care of his only living family… _

 

That didn’t mean that there weren’t times that Arthur wanted to hate the nobleman.

 

Suddenly, Hazel’s head jerked to the side as she glanced toward one of the windows, a small flying figure waving her small arms around frantically. Arthur himself couldn’t make out what the fairy was saying as his mother and the little creature quickly conversed with one another, but judging by his mother's rapidly darkening expression, it couldn't be anything good.

 

"Where's Dylan?" his mother asked as she rounded on Arthur, eyes wide with...fear?

 

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Arthur shook his head. "I don't know. I've been stuck here watching over Liam. Everyone else went off to do their own thing. I know Allistor and Niamh are supposed to be out hunting, but I don't know where Dylan is… Shouldn't he be with Father?"

 

As his mother shook her head, that was when Arthur smelled it: smoke, the stench of something burning. It was faint, as if it was being carried from far away, but it was enough to make his eyes start watering from the smell. "Mum…? What did the pixie tell you?"

 

“Just stay here. Please, Arthur,” she murmured urgently, grasping Arthur’s arms as she stared into his eyes with desperation. “Watch over your brothers. I’m going to go look for your father and Dylan. No matter what happens… Do not leave the house, and do not let anyone in except us. Promise me, love.”

 

Arthur’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.  _ Don’t leave? Don’t let anyone in? Does it have to do with the magical wards protecting the house? What’s out there that has her so terrified? What did that pixie say? What it it’s just another fairy trick? _ Doubt and dread gnawed at his chest.  _ But then...what’s causing the burning smell? What happened out there? What’s going on? _

 

Against his better judgment, Arthur nodded his head reluctantly. “I promise, Mum. Just...come back to us in one piece. All of you.”

 

Quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek, Hazel hurried out the door without another word. Grabbing a quill and paper, Arthur quickly wrote out a note addressed to Allistor and Niamh before inscribing a rune on the outside of the paper, stepping back as it burst into flames and disappeared.

 

“Arthur…?”

 

The blonde turned to look down at his two younger brothers, raising an eyebrow.

 

Liam’s gaze was sullen as the child stared up at him, his arms wrapped under Peter’s armpits in an effort to hold him up. “Are we going to be okay? Who did you send the fire message to?”

 

“It’s to Niamh and Allistor, telling them to hurry their arses home because we need them and I don’t think it’s safe for anyone to be out right now…”

 

“Arse!” Peter giggled, making grabby hands at Arthur before blowing a raspberry at him.

 

“Peter, no…” Arthur huffed, pinching his nose. He could feel the migraine creeping up on him already, the aching, pulsing pain that was throbbing in his temples. It felt like his ears were ringing with a shrill, high-pitched cacophony that kept growing in pitch. It wasn’t until moments later when Peter covered his ears with a whimper that Arthur realized that the noise that he was hearing was screaming and the sounds of people fighting. With every passing second, the noises were getting louder and louder, the reek of smoke making him want to gag.

 

_ The smell… The smoke… Someone’s trying to burn the village! That’s why the fairy came and found Mum! By the gods… The village is being attacked! And my family is out there! I have to… _

 

He started to take a step towards the door, his hand gripping Eugene’s ring where it was hidden beneath his shirt. His gaze cut over to where Liam and Peter were sitting on the floor, causing Arthur to silently curse. No, he had to stay and watch the younglings while his family was out there in danger. He had to keep them safe. He had promised his mother that much.

 

_ But what if whoever is attacking tries to get into the house...?  _ his mind hissed in disdain.

 

_ Then I use my magic to attack them and make them leave! _ he retorted back at himself, folding his arms close against his body as he glanced back towards the door of their house.  _ I just need to make sure that Liam and Peter are in a safe spot… Keep them safe until Mum and Dad and the rest of them get back… _

 

Clapping his hands together, Arthur picked up Peter when the toddler reached his hands up towards him, propping the young blonde on his hip and stroking a hand through Peter’s hair in an attempt to help soothe whatever pain or fear that the boy might have. “Alright, you two. We’re going to go make a fort in the bedroom and wait for the others to come back. Everything will be alright, okay?”

 

Liam squinted up at Arthur slightly as the blonde held out his hand, but the younger brother reluctantly stood up and followed him to their bedroom, helping to pile the blankets and pillows together to make as big of a fort as they could between two of the beds.

 

It felt like agony. The waiting. The longer that time dragged on and Arthur hoped that their family would be coming back, the more hopeless it felt and the more he fell into despair.  _ Gods, I hope they haven’t all died… Please… Please let them still be alive… _

 

He didn’t think that he would ever be able to get the screaming out of his head, the sounds of villagers falling to whatever enemy was storming through their home. He just wanted it to stop. He wanted everything to stop.  _ None of this was supposed to happen… _

 

“Arthur!” A voice followed by rapid thumping at the front door. “Arthur! Open the door!” A familiar voice.

 

“Stay here,” Arthur quickly murmured to the young boys, nearly tripping over his own feet as he ran to the front door. “Dylan! I’m coming! Hold on!” he yelled, yanking open the door without a second thought. His chest heaved with a sigh of relief at the sight of his older brother, but that was when his blood ran cold.

 

Tears and blood stained his brother’s face, and his brother wasn’t alone.

 

A long sword was pressed against the brunette’s throat, held by a tan-skinned soldier. The man was quick to push Dylan inside the house, making him stumble into Arthur and giving him the opportunity to slip inside before either of the two brothers could keep him out.

 

“So… You’re Arthur…” the man stated, his face obscured by the shadow of his hood. There was a certain amount of disdain in his voice though, and it sent chills down Arthur’s spine.

 

“Maybe I am. So what? Who the bloody hell are you?” Arthur spat back at the man as he helped Dylan stay standing up, which only caused the soldier to sneer in response.

 

Dylan’s breath was hot against Arthur’s cheek. “Arthur, don’t… Please don’t… Don’t antagonize him. He’ll kill you…”

 

“He can bloody well try, but he won’t--”

 

“No! You don’t get it!” Dylan’s eyes were wide with desperation, but it was his next words that felt as though Arthur were being stabbed over and over again until he couldn’t breathe. “He killed Mum! H-He killed her...like it was nothing…”

 

_ No… No, that can’t be true. Mum wouldn’t have died from some... _ **_simpleton_ ** _ like him! She can’t be… Fuck, how are we going to tell Liam and Peter? Peter’s almost always by her side. How will he react-- _

 

Arthur glared at the man that had invaded their house, their  _ home _ . “You bastard! Why? What the hell do you want? Why are you doing  _ any _ of this?”

 

“Why?” Arthur hated the innocence that was in the man’s voice. “Because she was in my way and was trying to stop me from finding you, Arthur. I’ve been looking for you...for a very long time…” He pushed his hood off his head, revealing a head of dark chocolate locks and a pair of emerald green eyes. “My name is…Antonio Fernández Carriedo. And it’s nothing personal...but you need to die. I hope you can understand.” Antonio lifted his sword in front of him, taking several steps closer to the brothers. His grin morphed into a maniacal sneer. “I’m just doing this to send... _ Eugene _ a message. A message of what it’s like to have everything you love stripped away from you until you’re left with nothing!”

 

_ Eugene! Dear gods, please no! Please, with whatever powers that exist in this world, please say that nothing has happened to Eugene… Please, my love, wherever you are… _

 

“All he ever talked about is you, Arthur. Always ever you.” Antonio’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the hilt of the sword tighter, rage sparking in the depths of his eyes. “Arthur this, Arthur that… What’s so special about you? You’re nothing!" he yelled, lifting his sword in front of him as he approached.

 

Arthur’s eyes trailed down the edge of the blade, his gaze fixating on the thin rivulets of blood that stained the metal. “What’s special about me…” he echoed, the flames of rage burning in his chest as tendrils of mint green magical energy coalesced in his hand, “...is that I will do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love, no matter the cost!” Arthur flung the orb of raw magic at Antonio, straight towards the man’s heart--

 

\--only to have Antonio lift his sword and block what was supposed to be an unblockable attack. The magic ricocheted off the bloodied blade and blasted itself against the wall of the house. A chuckle fell from the soldier’s lips. “...Did you really think that puny spell of yours was going to work against me?”

 

“ _ No! Leave them alone, you big meanie! _ ”

 

The dread in Arthur’s gut nearly made him choke as he watched the small form of Peter running forward with the end of a broom in his hands. “Peter, no! Stay away from him!” Arthur yelled, letting go of Dylan in an effort to grab Peter before he could reach Antonio. “ _ Peter! _ ”

 

Antonio reached Peter first.

 

With little more effort than it took to swat a gnat, Antonio backhanded the small boy with enough force to send him flying into the nearby wall.

 

There was a sickening crack, and Peter landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

 

He didn’t move after that.

 

“Peter!” Arthur started forward, only to be met with Antonio’s sword at his throat.

 

“Tsk, tsk. Such a shame,” Antonio murmured, using the tip of his sword to tilt Arthur’s chin up. “But as I was saying… Eugene’s been nothing but a flea on my back for years, and I want to make him suffer for it. And to do that, I’m going to start with wiping out you and your family…” Antonio tilted his head to the side as he eyed Arthur before grinning widely. “...You look just like your mother… And I’m sure your head will roll just as easily as hers did…”

 

Dylan stumbled forward, grasping onto the back of his brother’s shirt. “Arthur, don’t--”

 

Arthur spat on the man, a growl rising in his throat. “Go to Hell.”

 

The grin on Antonio’s face faded as he stared down at Arthur. “...You shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered, taking a step back and lowering his sword.

 

For the briefest moment, pride swelled in Arthur’s chest when it seemed like the soldier was about to retreat. He noticed his mistake too late.

 

In a flash, the sword spun around in Antonio’s hand, plunging down into the still body on the floor.

 

“Peter! No! You bastard! Why!?” Arthur screamed, lashing out towards Antonio.

 

His entire body felt like it was on fire.

 

_ Arthur. _

 

His head throbbing, the blonde doubled-over, gripping his hair.

 

_ Arthur! _

 

His nails dug into his scalp until he was sure he was bleeding.

 

_ Wake up! _

 

Bile rose in his throat, making him gag as the contents of his stomach roiled.

 

“Sit him up! Don’t let him choke!”

 

The voice finally cut through the haze that had overtaken Arthur’s mind, his eyes flashing open to stare up into a pair of worried faces until his stomach heaved and emptied its contents into the bucket that was next to the bed. His vision swam as the acid burned its way up his throat and nose, leaving him feeling weak and lightheaded.

 

Gentle hands helped smooth his hair back from where it had been plastered to his skin with sweat.

 

“Where…?” he croaked, greedily gulping down the glass of water that was soon pressed against his lips.

 

“Hey, it’s alright now. You’re on our ship.” The voice was Gilbert’s, as were the hands. “You ended up passing out after Matthew got hurt, so we brought you here. Your brothers are on the ship too. Niamh is on your ship and is flying it right next to ours. There’s nothing to worry about…”

 

The vague memories of what had happened began to solidify themselves against the fog of sleep. The vision of Peter being stabbed overlapped itself with the more recent memory of the sword that had skewered Matthew. It made his temples throb. “Is he…?”

 

“Matthew will be fine, so long as he doesn’t strain himself. But yes, he is alive,” the raven-haired man spoke up. Did Arthur know his name? He wasn’t sure. Everything in his mind felt muddy and disoriented. He couldn’t remember...

 

The haunting screams of the villagers still echoed in his ears, and he could swear that the miasma of smoke and burning things was eternally seared into his nostrils. It smelled so thick that he could almost choke on it.

 

“Shhh, hey, hey. Arthur, you’re okay. Everything will be okay,” Gilbert murmured, red eyes meeting green, and even though they were no longer the blue of the eyes in Arthur’s memories, the love that emanated from them was still the same.

 

_ How could I have ever forgotten? Eugene...and Peter… How could I have let myself forget what happened? Even now… I can’t remember everything. Just bits and pieces, and it feels like those are fading like smoke the more I try to remember them... _

 

“I know,” Arthur mumbled, rubbing his face and suddenly feeling decades older than he was. “I’m just...tired… Where are we going?”

 

“Right now… We’re just trying to get as far as we can from the city and to a safer port to finish restocking supplies for both ships,” Gilbert explained, gently steadying Arthur when he started to sway. “I think Mattie has a couple of leads that he’s trying to look into, and then we’ll plot a more definitive course from there.”

 

“You should just focus on resting in order to heal, Arthur. Let us take care of the rest,” the other man stated.  _ Kiku. Kiku’s his name… _ “We’ll be here if you need anything. Gilbert, let’s go.”

 

“Actually,” Arthur spoke up hesitantly, clearing his throat as Gilbert had started to reluctantly stand up, “I wouldn’t mind it if Gilbert stayed...for a while. I could...use the company.” A flush spread across his cheeks when he noticed the grin on Gilbert’s face. “Plus I’d like him to fill me in on everything that’s happened while I was unconscious,” he hurriedly added, crossing his arms.

 

Gilbert sent a pleading look to Kiku who eventually sighed. “Fine… But as long as you do not push yourself too hard, Arthur.”

 

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but he was quickly cut off by Kiku shaking his head.

 

“I don’t mean just physically… Your  _ mind  _ needs time to heal,” Kiku stated, his expression stern. “You went through something traumatic, and while your body may have been left unscathed, the repression of your memories...and your magic...have been less fortunate…” Turning towards the door, he placed a hand on the frame, glancing back over his shoulder. At first, Arthur thought that the doctor was looking at him, but then he realized that the dark gaze was focused on Gilbert. “...Don’t rush him, Gilbert. I know how much this means to you… How much  _ he _ means to you… But just let him remember things at his own pace. Be patient…”

 

With that, Kiku retreated from the room, leaving Arthur and Gilbert in silence.

 

Whatever happy facade had been in place on Gilbert’s face whenever Arthur had woken up soon disappeared. Instead, deep concern replaced it as he pulled a chair over to the side of Arthur’s bed. He sat down in it backwards, with his arms resting on the top of the headrest. Several long moments passed as Gilbert picked at a loose splinter of wood on the back of the chair, his gaze remaining averted.

 

“...Kiku came and got me…” he murmured, glancing up at Arthur. “He said that you had suddenly started hyperventilating, and you were saying my name… Not Gilbert, but...my old name. He thought that whatever you were going through in here,” he stated, pressing a finger against his head, “that it would be best if I were the one that you woke up to, rather than anyone else. The others don’t know that you’re awake yet,” Gilbert added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kiku didn’t want to risk having too many people in the room at once and causing you to be even more disoriented or overwhelmed… Plus, for a few moments, you were...surrounded by this faint glowing green… I guess it was remnants of your magic but…” Gilbert trailed off, shaking his head as he ran his hand back through his hair.

 

He looked exhausted, far more so than Arthur had ever realized. During their recent encounters, Gilbert had always seemed so full of energy and happy that it made a part of Arthur ache at seeing the man looking so...defeated.

 

_ How long has it been? Since we had been separated? Since Gilbert had thought that I was dead? Since I forgot everything? How long has he been carrying around this burden? _

 

A memory drifted across his mind.

 

“He had wanted to make you suffer,” Arthur murmured, looking down at Gilbert.

 

The silver-haired man looked up at him in confusion, raising an eyebrow. “Kiku wouldn’t--”

 

“Not Kiku… Carriedo.” Burying his face in his hands, Arthur shook his head, pain throbbing in his temples. “I...remember that much… I remember that he had used Dylan to get past the wards of the house… He said that he was going to use me to send you a message and to make you suffer… And that all you ever did was talk about me…”

 

_ All he ever talked about is you, Arthur. Always ever you. Arthur this, Arthur that… What’s so special about you? You’re nothing! _

 

A sheepish chuckle fell from Gilbert’s lips, making Arthur look up to see the embarrassed flush on the man’s face. “Well… That’s not exactly wrong… I did talk about you a lot, telling stories of the times that we spent together. I had thought that if I couldn’t get to be with you in person, then being able to relive the stories of our time together would be the next best thing…” A sad smile stretched across Gilbert’s face as he hesitantly reached out and placed his hand on top of Arthur’s. “Before I had left with my grandfather, I promised you that I would wait for you forever…”

 

“...and that your heart would always be mine…” Arthur murmured in response, gently patting Gilbert’s hand. Their eyes locked for a few moments, and the intensity of longing in Gilbert’s gaze made it difficult for Arthur to breathe. Clearing his throat, he quickly glanced away, his heart hammering away at his ribs.

 

_ Always ever you... _

 

Opening his mouth, Gilbert was about to speak, but he seemed to think better of it and withdrew his hand. “Get some rest, Arthur. I know you’re exhausted. I’ll be over there on the other bed if you need anything,” he murmured as he stood up, pressing a kiss to the top of Arthur’s head before retreating to the other side of the room and flopping down on the bed there. “Goodnight, Arthur.”

 

“R-Right…” the blonde mumbled, watching Gilbert kick his boots off and roll onto his side. He couldn’t help the pang of disappointment in his chest, but that was mostly drowned out by the overwhelming exhaustion that made every part of him ache. “...Goodnight, Gilbert. I’ll...see you in the morning…” he murmured as he laid himself down on his bed.

 

If Gilbert had responded, Arthur didn’t hear it. The darkness of sleep was quick to overtake him.

 

He did not dream that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! I'm really really sorry for such a long delay on getting this chapter updated. In short, Life Sucks; between being fairly consistently sick this past month and still having to work constantly, I haven't really had much energy to write. I haven't given up though, and I'm going to keep writing this story! And I definitely appreciate all of the likes and want to welcome the new subscribers to the series!
> 
> On a side note, since I have been working on a comic/graphic novel over on Tapas and improving my artwork, I've been considering doing an illustrated adaptation of "Of Feathers & Roses" and wanted to get your guys' opinions on if that would be something that you would be interested in. Let me know what you think!


	17. The Right Path

A heavy sigh fell from Matthew’s lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t sure how long that he had been staring down at the map, but a deep ache had spread its way through the backs of his eyes like needles. The stitches in his abdomen itched and burned. However, out of every distraction that was making itself known, the most distracting was Allistor’s presence.

 

After Kiku had come into the room and requested Gilbert’s presence, the meeting had pretty much broken apart. Ludwig and Liam were content with talking amongst themselves, with Ludwig showing Liam off to his room for them to share. Meanwhile, Francis had decided to escort Dylan to the private quarters that he’d be able to stay for the night until he’d be able to return to his own ship.

 

The only one who had stayed behind in the room was Allistor.

 

It seemed like that always ended up being the case. That it was always the two of them that ended up together somehow, as if they were simply two magnets that were drawn towards each other.

 

Part of Matthew couldn’t understand it, and the other part of him was too tired to even begin to try.

 

“...Why didn’t you tell them?”

 

Matthew blinked tiredly, glancing up at Allistor where the redhead continued to lean against the wall. “What?”

 

Allistor threaded a hand back through his hair, stepping over towards the desk, his voice low. “Why didn’t ye tell them about the bounty hunters that we ran into earlier?”

 

“Ah. _That_. Admittedly it’s been one of the last things on my mind, what with everything else that’s been going on,” Matthew explained, rubbing his hand against his face. All of the lines on the map were starting to look like a big blur of colors that made no sense together. “And y’know, the whole getting stabbed thing.”

 

He felt Allistor flinch beside him at the comment. “Matthew…”

 

The blonde sighed, burying his face in his hands. “Sorry… I’m just tired. It’s easy to forget that you haven’t been around to see all of the other times I’ve gotten stabbed or hurt…”

 

There was a brief pause as Allistor seemed to process Matthew’s words, but whatever Matthew was expecting him to say, it wasn’t what was said. “So yer getting used to me being around, eh?” Allistor chuckled, causing a deep flush to creep up Matthew’s neck. His voice was gentle as he continued, hopeful. “...Does this mean that yer reconsidering what I had asked ye earlier…?”

 

Matthew scrunched up his nose as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He twisted his chair around to be able to look up at the redhead. “Allistor… I _can’t_...” Matthew stated bluntly. “I already told you that I can’t have those types of entanglements. Because of the people that we’re fighting against. Because of the dangers and threats that we face. Because of the uncertainty that the future holds of whether we’re just going to be walking straight into a death trap or not… Because of everything that I am and the family ties that I have--”

 

“And I’m still here by yer side despite knowing all of that.”

 

Those few words made Matthew bite his tongue. In the face of that, he knew that there wasn’t anything that he could say that could possibly justify denying Allistor the chance. It was simply his fear that made him refuse to admit it.

 

“And what if _I_ end up hurting you?” The question was out of his mouth before he had time to process it.

 

Allistor blinked in surprise before chuckling and kneeling down next to Matthew’s chair. “So that’s what’s really been bothering ye, isn’t it?” Warm hands reached up and cradled the blonde’s even warmer face. “Matthew… There’s no need to be afraid. I know ye aren’t going to end up hurting me. Ye have more control over yer powers than anyone else I know. Even most of the full-blooded fae that I’ve met have had more trouble controlling or concealing their powers than ye do--”

 

“And that’s the _problem_ ,” Matthew retorted, his hands resting on top of Allistor’s as his face contorted with pain. “Being around you makes my control wear thin… These _powers_ have already made me lose enough, as it is…” he mumbled, gently removing Allistor’s hands from his face and standing up.

 

Allistor pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyebrows furrowing in...frustration? Confusion? ...Amusement? Matthew couldn’t tell what the redhead was thinking or feeling but he knew that an explanation was needed at the very least. Matthew owed at least that much to the man, to let him know the extent of the danger that he would be in if he continued his attempts at courting the half-fae.

 

“Come with me,” he murmured, tugging on Allistor’s hand as he led him out the office door and up towards the deck. Allistor’s only response was to hold onto Matthew’s hand tighter.

 

Most of the crew had already retreated below decks to wait out the storm. Other than a few stragglers that were smoking, it left the pair almost completely alone. As it was, most of the storm had already passed with only a faint mist still falling from the sky. The crispness of the rain was a welcome contrast against the nearly dizzying heat of his skin. In the distance, not too far from their own ship, he could make out the shape of Arthur’s skyship flying next to theirs.

 

Leading Allistor to the bow of the ship, Matthew eventually let go of his hand, staring out over the dark rolling sea of clouds that the skyship was soaring over. His eyes slid closed for several moments, simply listening to the distant rumbling of thunder and whispering of the wind.

 

Letting out a shaky breath, Matthew glanced over at Allistor, the redhead watching him with a mixture of concern and interest. “It was at a time not too long before Gilbert had been brought to the castle to begin training as a knight… It was some time between my fourteenth and fifteenth birthday… My mother knew that I had magic and had been doing the best that she could to train me ever since I had begun to develop signs of my... _gift_ ,” he murmured, Allistor moving closer and resting his arms on the railing next to him.

 

Matthew resisted the urge to lean against Allistor’s shoulder.

 

“Under her tutelage as well as Lovino’s, I was able to learn how to control my magic...for the most part…” Matthew stated, his hands tightening against the wooden bannister. “However, the problem is that my magic is derived from lightning. It’s powerful and beautiful and strong, yes, but...it’s also volatile and unstable. It’s dangerous and unpredictable.” Matthew held one of his hands out, palm up. Purple sparks of lightning danced between his fingers. “No matter how much I try to control it, there’s always the chance that it’ll backfire and that it’ll hurt someone…”

 

For the first time since they had left the office, Allistor spoke up, his statement making Matthew flinch. “...It wasn’t really a fire that killed yer mother, was it?”

 

Biting his lip, Matthew nodded slowly. “It wasn’t the fire that killed her. It was _me_ …” His voice was hoarse; guilt made the backs of his eyes and his throat burn. “My powers had gotten out of control. It had killed her on contact and sent the entire room up in blazes… If it hadn’t been for Lovino being there, I would’ve been stuck in the fire and likely have died as well...”

 

_Matthew, we have to go! We have to get out of here!_

 

_But my mother--!_

 

_She’s dead, Matthew! We have to go._

 

_No! We can’t just leave her! S-She’s not--_

 

_For fuck’s sake, you bastard! Do you really want to end up dying too!? Because even if you do want to, I’m not going to fucking let it happen, do you hear me?_

 

_...Yes, Lovino… I hear you…_

 

_Then let’s get the hell out of here, because I’m not going to leave you behind, you understand? ...I’m going to get you out of here even if I have to drag you out myself!_

 

_...Okay…_

 

_...Hey… You can cry on my shoulder later, okay? Just promise me that you’ll stay alive first and won’t do anything stupid._

 

_...I promise..._

 

Letting out a shaky breath, Matthew rubbed his face, pressing his palms against his eyes until white spots danced across his eyelids. “To this day, everyone still believes that it was the fire… A freak fire that seemed to happen out of nowhere… That no one could find the source of… But I think that Alfred found out… Somehow he found out the real cause. I think that he had managed to find out that I was the reason it happened. That he managed to connect the dots…”

 

Matthew’s head jerked up as Allistor wrapped his hands around his wrists, his lips pressing against the backs of his hands. Whatever effect the cool mist had had on relieving the blonde’s blush was now completely negated as Matthew stared at the redhead incredulously.

 

“W-What are you--”

 

“Matthew… No matter what ye may think of yerself, ye aren’t a bad person,” Allistor murmured, his thumbs gently massaging the backs of Matthew’s hands where the faintest sparks of lightning crackled against his skin until it dissipated completely. “It was an accident, and accidents happen…”

 

“But--”

 

“No _buts_ ,” Allistor replied sternly, a frown deep-set on his face. “Ye’ve already blamed yerself enough when ye’ve had no need to. Ever since I’ve met ye, ye’ve been nothing but kind and helpful and self-sacrificing. Ye’ve done everything in yer power to not hurt people, and ye’ve gone out of yer way to save people and make things better...to create a better world… Ye’ve been nothing but selfless… But ye keep acting like ye have to do everything alone and that ye’ve got to shelter everyone to protect them…”

 

Allistor laced his fingers with Matthew’s, bringing one of Matthew’s hands to rest against his chest. His heartbeat vibrated against the blonde’s fingertips. It made Matthew’s heart race and hammer almost painfully against his ribs in response.

 

“...Yer not alone, Matthew… Like Francis had said earlier, they’ve known that following ye wouldn’t be the safest path in life… But it is the _right_ path, and none of us are going to falter from the path that we’re on. We’re with ye until the end…” Allistor murmured, brushing several locks of Matthew’s mist-dampened hair out of his eyes. “I’ll always be by yer side… I promise… I’m not going to give up on ye…”

 

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Matthew glanced out over the clouds, a shiver running down his spine. “How can you be so sure? That this is the right path? What if I’m just leading everybody to their deaths? Nobody in their right mind would try to stand up against the empire that my brother’s building--”

 

“Except _you_ ,” Allistor stated, leaning against the ship’s railing. “And it’s exactly because nobody else would try to, that makes it the reason that it _is_ the right path. Ye know why? Because the right path...is always the hardest path to take. It’s the one that beats ye down until ye want to give up. Which is why nobody takes it. People today… They’d much rather have everything handed to them, because of how much they’ve been pampered by society… They don’t know the value of things, because they’d rather take a shortcut or find an easy way out. Those people are cowards and have no sense of honor… Just like when ye fought against Roberts…

 

“And I know yer worried about people dying…” Allistor continued. “But death is an inevitable part of life. Not that I’m saying people should just be reckless…” He paused, seeming to think over his words for a few moments before he turned back to Matthew. “What I mean is… It’s better to die defending yer beliefs and defending what’s _right_ than to live a meaningless life and bend to the whim and will of others.”

 

"...Death before dishonor…" Matthew murmured in response, glancing down at their joined hands. A small smile spread across his lips in spite of himself. "I take it that's why you're so stubborn, then?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Aye," the redhead said with a laugh, emerald eyes glimmering with mirth as he brought a hand up to cup Matthew's cheek, "I suppose it is…"

 

For a moment, time seemed to freeze around them, the world slowing to a crawl as their eyes met.

 

"Allistor, I…" He trailed off as the redhead leaned closer.

 

"Yes?"

 

His breath caught in his throat as the tips of their noses brushed together. "I--"

 

"Matthew!"

 

The pair jolted at the sudden yell, their foreheads hitting together painfully as Matthew turned towards the source of the intrusion, his face blazing red. Rubbing his forehead, the blonde was quick to put distance between himself and Allistor, feeling dizzy with embarrassment.

 

"L-Ludwig! What are you doing out here? I thought you were going to be showing Liam to your quarters for the night?" Matthew asked as he cleared his throat, watching the teen's nose scrunch up in confusion.

 

"Yes… We did..." Ludwig started slowly, studying the pair for a few moments longer before going into his explanation. "We had gone to the room, and I was showing him all the ideas that I had for inventions along with some of the prototypes. One of them was for being able to use lightning as an alternative fuel source for the skyship… I've actually been waiting for the right time to be able to test it, and it was actually Liam that gave me the idea that... _you_ might be able to help us test it? Because of your magic." A light flush started to rise to his cheeks as he fiddled with a loose string between his fingers. "I thought that it would be a good idea to bring it up to you, considering Antonio's men are likely going to be after us, and if we have a pretty much unlimited fuel supply, then we wouldn't have to run the risk of encountering them by needing to dock for fuel. We would only need to whenever we need other supplies."

 

Matthew glanced back at Allistor who--despite looking grumpy at their time being interrupted--seemed thoroughly impressed with Ludwig's speech. His question made it appear otherwise though. "Hopefully ye don't mean to test it now?" the redhead asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"W-Well…" Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of wanted to be able to…"

 

The blonde pirate sighed, stepping over to the teen and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What Allistor is _trying_ to say, is that it's been a very long evening for everybody. On top of that, I'm healing and can't risk straining the injuries," Matthew added, gesturing to his stomach and the concealed bandages there which made Ludwig flinch. "I will admit that it is a real good idea though, and I am more than willing to help test it out. Just remember though that we don't have just our ship to think about. There's also the Kirklands' ship too, so it wouldn't work to have just one of the devices."

 

Ludwig nodded, seeming to perk up a little bit. "I can build another one once the prototype gets tested and tweaked. I should have all of the parts and materials needed for a second one. I would just need to get some measurements of the ship to make sure I make it the right size…" He trailed off, looking over at Allistor with hopeful eyes.

 

Matthew raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at the redhead who was crossing his arms. Catching Matthew's eye, Allistor eventually sighed, running a hand through his mist-dampened hair. "Fine, fine. I'll see what I can do. I do agree that it's a good plan…"

 

"For now though, I think we should head to bed. It's been a long two days, and we're going to have a busy week and month ahead of us," Matthew stated gently, ruffling up Ludwig's hair. It didn't dim the smile that was on the teen's face though. "We'll have to rendezvous the ships tomorrow and have someone fill in Niamh about everything and to lay out the plan for our next travels."

 

"Where are we going to be heading to next?" Allistor asked, following beside Matthew as the trio made their way inside, Ludwig branching off and heading back towards his room.

 

"Well…" The blonde bit his lip, hesitating. "First, we're going to be following up on a couple of leads and meeting up with some smugglers that I know, along with a few other sources. But if I'm right…as I fear that I very well may be..." Matthew’s shoulders slumped with pain and fatigue, already dreading the thought of what would be to come. He gazed tiredly over at Allistor when the redhead placed a steadying hand between his shoulders. “If I’m right, then our path will lead us to Rome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Another update already? Why, yes, yes it is!  
> I've definitely been trying to make some more time to be able to get the chapters done for you guys to enjoy, and I really hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far.  
> Also as I stated at the end of the last update, don't forget to let me know if you guys would be interested in a comic version of "Of Feathers & Roses"! You can either drop a comment here or over on my [Tumblr!](https://celosia-starfall.tumblr.com/)


	18. It's Progress

To say that the following week had been hectic would’ve been an understatement.

 

In a way, it felt like the world had been turned upside down, and Gilbert wasn't yet sure whether or not it was a good feeling to have. Their normal routine was no longer applicable because they had to account for a second ship, which meant more stops to be able to properly relay information and accommodations.

 

_ On the bright side, _ he thought,  _ at least Arthur's memories have been slowly coming back, even though there’s been a few roadblocks or road bumps along the way. Not that we've been able to have much time to ourselves to be able to talk about them… Especially since all of the Kirklands have been taking shifts, swapping between ships. Except for Liam, at least. Ahhh, it's good to know that Luddy's got a friend to spend time with, rather than having to work all the time! He definitely needs to enjoy himself more! _

 

Gilbert paused as he neared the medical room, noticing a certain redheaded pirate leaning outside against the wall. A deep scowl was set on his face as he glared at the floor. 

 

Now that he thought about it though…

 

_ I don't think that Allistor has ended up leaving the ship either, except for maybe one time that I can recall… I wonder why… And why is he here? Did someone get hurt? _

 

"Hey, Allistor!" Gilbert waved, catching the other's attention. "Is everything alright?"

 

Blinking as though he were being pulled out of a trance, Allistor glanced over at the pirate captain. "Yeah, it's fine. Matthew's just inside with Kiku, getting his wounds checked over. They made me wait out here…"

 

"Ah… That explains it," Gilbert mumbled to himself as he rubbed his chin, the pieces clicking together.  _ He's always around Matthew, that's why. Though...now that I think about it… Hasn't Mattie been trying to keep from being alone with Red here? Actually, Birdie's seemed pretty stressed lately and on edge… I know the whole bounty hunter situation isn't easy to deal with, but… _

 

"Well! It's a good thing that Kiku's checking him over now!" Gilbert said eventually, patting Allistor on the shoulder with a wide grin. "Because I have something that I need Matthew for whenever he's done," he explained vaguely, rapping his knuckles on the door.

 

"Allistor, I told you that I would let you know when I'm finished checking his wounds," Kiku's voice called out from inside the room, sounding mildly irritated. "Please do not interrupt my work anymore or I will have to see to it that Gilbert returns you to your ship."

 

Gilbert bit down on his lip, stifling the laughter that was just dying to be released. "Kiku, it's fine. It's me," Gilbert responded, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at Allistor. The redhead's face was nearly as red as his hair was.  _ I guess Alli's been being rather...persistent. _

 

There was a moment of silence before the lock on the door clicked and the raven-haired doctor peeked out. "Captain Beilschmidt… What may I assist you with?"

 

"I was just wondering when Matthew would be done. I need his help with something," Gilbert stated, a grin wide on his face and a bubble of energy forming in his chest.

 

Kiku sighed, looking resigned as he rubbed his face. "Let me finish dressing his wound and then I will turn him over to your care." He gave Gilbert a stern look. "Please do not break him now that he's almost fully healed."

 

Gilbert's grin only widened as the doctor retreated back into the room. He could hear the pair talking inside, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.

 

"What are ye going to do with him?" Allistor asked, squinting at the silver-haired man with distrust.

 

It made the former knight raise an eyebrow.  _ He's awfully protective of Mattie, isn't he? _ Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall across from the doorway. "Well, I can't tell  _ you _ ; it's a surprise!"

 

Before Allistor could bite out a retort, the door clicked open again, Matthew and Kiku stepping out into the hallway.

 

"If I know you as well as I think I know you," Matthew started, raising an eyebrow as his arms cradled his stomach, "your surprises usually end up with someone in trouble or getting hurt."

 

A pout tugged at Gilbert's lips. "Aww, c'mon! It's not always that bad! Besides, I know that you're going to love it!"

 

The blonde merely deadpanned, and for the first time that week, Gilbert could see the extent of the physical toll that all of the stress had been taking on him. From the dark circles under his eyes to the slump of his shoulders and the lethargic shuffle in his steps… Maybe it was just his imagination, but did Matthew seem a bit thinner too? Had he been eating properly? He’d have to get Francis to make sure that the prince had a proper meal.

 

His smile softened as he patted Matthew's shoulder gently. "Hey, I promise this time."

 

"Before that though," Allistor interrupted, clearing his throat, "I would like to speak with Matthew for a moment. Privately."

 

Glancing at the redhead, Gilbert pursed his lips in thought before suddenly linking his arm with Matthew's and dragging him away. "Nope!" Gilbert exclaimed, leaving the other three in shocked silence as the blonde limply complied and did nothing to stop Gilbert.

 

"...This better be a good surprise…" Matthew mumbled under his breath with a raised eyebrow. Questioning. “Otherwise, neither of us are going to be able to live this down.”

 

“Oh, ye of little faith, you wound me,” Gilbert stated, pressing a hand over his chest as if he had been stabbed in the heart. It merely made Matthew snort and roll his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.  _ At least it’s progress… _

 

“Has there been any word on how close we are to St. Petersburg?” Matthew asked, and it only made Gilbert sigh.

 

_ So much for progress… _ The silver-haired pirate pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “ _ Ja, ja.  _ We’ll be there in two sunsets… If the storms manage to hold, we might be able to make it by sunset tomorrow.”

 

“Good,” Matthew mumbled with a nod, his gaze distant. “I want to be able to get there as soon as possible.”

 

Stepping out onto the deck, Gilbert led Matthew to the center, putting his hands on the blonde’s shoulders to hold him in place. “Alright. Now, don’t move,” Gilbert stated, a wide grin stretching across his face and making Matthew raise an eyebrow, his eyes narrowed.

 

“Gil… If this ends up being some sort of trap…”

 

“Don’t worry! Everything will be fine!” Gilbert exclaimed, taking several steps back. “But first… Catch!” He reached into the folds of his coat and tossed a sword over to Matthew.

 

The blonde raised an eyebrow as he caught the blade. He would’ve asked questions, but Gilbert had already drawn his own sword and charged at him. Matthew managed to easily block the faux attack, their blades crossed between them.

 

“You’ve been really stressed lately, Mattie. You need to loosen up. You know you can always talk to me if there’s something bothering you,” Gilbert said lowly, blinking as Matthew pushed Gilbert back with their swords and slid out of the way.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Matthew deadpanned, easily blocking and deflecting each of the attacks and slashes that Gilbert sent his way.

 

Regardless of Matthew’s denial, the longer their sparring continued, the more Gilbert could see the tension in the blonde’s shoulders slowly starting to melt away. A smile spread across his face.

 

It was like a dance. A deadly dance of ringing steel, whirling and clashing blades.

 

It wasn’t long before a crowd started to form on the deck, watching with awe as the two pirates duelled. It wasn’t often, after all, that their crew got to see Matthew and Gilbert spar against one another. Admittedly, the pair weren’t able to spar at full force as they had in the past, but the grace that the pair had was still a sight to behold.

 

Gilbert wasn’t sure how long the pair had kept the pace and rhythm of their duel, but even despite his injuries, Matthew eventually managed to knock the sword out of Gilbert’s hand, the blade embedding itself into the deck. A wide smile was spread across both of their faces as they burst out laughing.

 

“You know, one of these days I’ll win against you again,” Gilbert cackled, picking up his sword from the ground.

 

Matthew snorted, resting his hands on the pommel of his sword and raising an eyebrow. “You’ve  _ never _ won against me, Gilbert. I let you win the first time that we ever sparred against each other.”

 

Liam came bounding over from where he had been watching the sparring session, Ludwig in tow. “Mattie, Mattie, Mattie!” Green eyes sparkled as the young teen stared up at the half-fairy prince. “Yer amazing! Can you teach us? How to swordfight? I’ve always wanted to learn how to but my siblings wouldn’t ever teach me. Pleeeeeeease?”

 

Gilbert couldn’t help but to snort and pat Matthew on the shoulder. “I’ll go get some practice swords.”

 

“No need,  _ bruder _ ,” Ludwig spoke up, holding out the pair of fencing sabres that he’d hidden behind his back.

 

“Looks like you have some enthusiastic students, Mattie!” Gilbert cackled, plucking his sword out of the deck and giving a wave to the blonde, who only laughed and saluted at Gilbert.

 

It was the most relaxed that he had seen Matthew in quite a while. He wasn’t even sure when the last time that he had heard Matthew laugh was. He’d get to the bottom of what was bothering him though. It was the least that he could do for his friend. For his  _ family _ . After all, he’d already died once to protect Matthew, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Gilbert walked over to the railing of the ship where Allistor was leaning, the redhead’s gaze fixed firmly on the blonde pirate. Allistor seemed to take no notice in the silver-haired man, so Gilbert watched him. He watched the way that those green eyes--which were so much like Arthur’s--followed every movement that Matthew made as he positioned the pair’s younger brothers into correct fencing stances, a longing sigh falling from his lips.

 

“Holy shit!” Gilbert exclaimed, making Allistor flinch and fix his emerald gaze onto the crimson-eyed pirate captain. In a quieter voice, Gilbert leaned in and whispered, “You’re in love with Matthew, aren’t you?”

 

Allistor paled before flushing darkly and turning his head away, and that was all the answer that Gilbert needed to know. The words that Allistor mumbled left the pirate feeling completely floored, because he was half-expecting no reply at all and half-expecting a denial. “Aye, I do… More than I’ve ever loved anyone else in this world…”

 

Gilbert stared at the redhead for several silent moments before speaking again, his respect for Allistor only growing by the second. “Would you die for him?”

 

Green eyes fixed on him with such an intensity that had he not been leaning against the railing, he would’ve taken a step back and averted his gaze. But as it was, Gilbert was no coward. “I would. I’d die in a heartbeat if it meant that he’d be safe.”

 

Humming, Gilbert glanced back over to where Matthew was helping Ludwig with his grip on his fencing sword. “...Then let me ask you this. I’ve been trying to figure it out myself but… Do you know what’s been bothering Matthew? He’s been acting...different lately.”

 

That was when Allistor fell silent, causing Gilbert to raise an eyebrow at the deep flush that nearly matched the man’s hair. “Well… I have several guesses…”

 

Gilbert’s eyes widened, his voice a hoarse whisper. “ _ Mein Gott _ , you didn’t sleep with him already, did you?”

 

“Of course not, ye damned bloody idiot!” Allistor growled, punching Gilbert in the shoulder before burying his face in his hands. “I told him that I wanted to court him properly, and after we talked more, we almost ended up kissing, but then yer brother ended up interrupting us before we did, and now Matthew’s been avoiding me ever since.” The words rushed out of Allistor’s mouth in a torrent as he doubled over against the railing, looking thoroughly miserable.

 

_ He looks like somebody kicked a puppy… _

 

He could definitely sympathize with him though, about wanting to be alone with the man that he loved more than life itself… “And how does Matthew feel about you?” Gilbert asked gently, a plan already swirling into his mind. “I know that he’s always been the type to put his duty above his heart. He’s never been interested in romance or being in any type of relationship before. But if he let you even get close enough to kiss, then you’d be the first.”

 

Allistor only seemed to deflate even further. “That’s the thing… He has feelings for me too and even said that he was attracted to me... He’s just scared of getting too close to anybody because of who his enemies are and he doesn’t want anybody else to end up dying for him. He feels personally responsible for  _ ye _ dying as it is. And he’s worried that because he’s not fully human, because he has powers...that his powers will end up getting out of control and that he’ll end up hurting people. So he’s pretty much trying to keep himself cut off as much as possible…”

 

Gilbert felt the smallest twinge of guilt in his chest. Honestly he’d never have thought that Matthew had felt so guilty for him dying before. He had just been fulfilling his duty as Matthew’s knight...and more, as a friend.  _ All this time… He’s been bearing that cross alone… He’s been bearing everything alone, trying to keep everyone safe, even at the expense of his own happiness… I have to do something to help these two… It’s the least that I can do... _

 

“You know…” Gilbert started slowly, placing a hand on Allistor’s shoulder with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “I think I have just the plan to help you out, before we all end up going crazy.”

 

Allistor’s eyes narrowed for a few moments, seeming as though he were internally debating on whether or not he should actually accept Gilbert’s help. Eventually, Allistor gave in. “Alright. What’s yer plan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry that it took so long to update this story. Other than Life(TM) getting in the way, I had also been working on some stuff for the Hetalia Week Extravaganza over on Tumblr.
> 
> The first was a fanart/fanfic combo for a ScotCan Cardverse AU, called "A Pair of Aces" which you can find on AO3 as well. It's just a one-shot for the time being, but I'm definitely considering expanding more on the story.
> 
> And the second is a RomaCan fanfic (or at least the first 9 chapters of one, also on AO3) called "A Chance Encounter" which is set in a futuristic fantasy setting where Lovino is a fire fairy that was captured by scientists before escaping and being rescued by Matthew.
> 
> As always, I'd like to thank everyone for their support and I hope everyone continues to enjoy these stories!


	19. Your Knight

Allistor ran his hands down his face, resisting the urge to chew on his thumbnail as he waited inside of Gilbert’s office. It had been almost two days since the pirate captain had come up with a plan to help Allistor be able to talk to Matthew alone, and the longer that he waited, the more nervous that he became that something may have ended up going wrong and that Matthew hadn’t been able to be convinced to come by Gilbert’s office.

 

The other possibility was that the meeting that Matthew had with his Russian smuggler contacts didn’t go well and something had ended up happening to him and he was in the hospital wing again.

 

_ No, if that were the case, then Gilbert would’ve sent someone to let me know… After all, we’re in the air again, so we’re going to have to be heading somewhere else soon. _

 

His gaze drifted over to the bottle of wine and platter of sweets that were sitting on the table next to the bed. He had tried to refuse the wine--he personally didn't like the stuff, and he knew that Matthew didn't drink--but Francis had ended up insisting. Something about how a good French wine always brought lovers closer together.

 

It didn't help that he felt utterly ridiculous in the white suit that he had been forced to wear, his normally unruly hair slicked back out of his face. It felt too stiff and formal, the sleeves just a bit too short for his liking, the golden lapels and decorations too fancy, and it made him regret even asking Gilbert for help if it meant he was going to end up suffering for endless hours. As it was now, his palms were sweaty and his stomach was wrapped around each other in about fifty different knots from the anticipation.

 

"Gilbert, please, I'm tired… What more is there for us to talk about?"

 

The sound of Matthew's voice made any of his previous thoughts melt away, his heart pounding faster in his chest as he stared expectantly at the door beside him.  _ God, I’m so helpless… _

 

“Well, obviously, there’s  _ lots _ to talk about! We’ve got loads of stuff to discuss. Very important stuff! Like what that Russian bastard and his sisters told you. Why you keep being so mopey and miserable. What the next plan is going to be and where we’re going. Why you look like someone stabbed you--”

 

“Gilbert…” Matthew groaned, sounding exasperated, as if it was an overused joke.

 

“Fine, fine! Why you look like someone stabbed your dog. You can’t keep keeping things all bottled up inside of you! That’s why we’re going to talk!” the silver-haired pirate exclaimed, opening the door to the office and pushing Matthew inside. “...Right after I finish talking with Arthur about something!” he added, quickly bolting the door closing with a resounding  _ clang _ .

 

“Oh, for fuck’s--” He started, turning towards the door only to have the rest of his sentence die on his tongue as he saw Allistor standing nearby. “--sake…”

 

Allistor watched with restrained amusement as Matthew’s mouth worked itself in an attempt to make words come out, but all that he managed to do was wheeze as he stumbled backwards a few steps to brace himself against the desk. “Hello to ye too,” Allistor murmured, a small smile on his lips.

 

“W-What are you-- How--”

 

“It was Gilbert and Francis’s idea,” Allistor admitted, which only made Matthew groan and run a hand down his face. “All I wanted was to be able to talk to ye, since ye’ve been avoiding me.” He didn’t mean to say it in an accusatory tone. He really didn’t, but perhaps a large part of him was more hurt about it than he had let even himself believe.

 

He didn’t miss the way that Matthew ended up flinching though, the blonde’s head bowing slightly as he glanced away. There was something else though… Allistor couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

 

“Did something happen at the meeting?” Allistor tried instead, diverting the subject to one that would perhaps be a bit easier for Matthew to open up about for the time being as he walked over and leaned his hip against the other end of the desk.

 

Matthew rubbed his face tiredly, a heavy weight seeming to settle across his shoulders. “It’s more that...I was right about something that I so desperately wished that I wouldn’t be… Apparently there’s been many...suspicious shipments being transported into Rome, along with miscellaneous ‘anonymous’ shipments between Rome and Arcadia. Of course, no one is willing to say aloud that the emperors are sending each other supplies, but that’s what’s seeming to be the case. Natalya told me that there’s the strong possibility that it’s some type of new arsenal, some new weapon, and that there’s been an increasing fear that an all-out war is going to break out. No, not a war. An  _ invasion _ …” Matthew’s shoulders drooped even more as he buried his face in his hands. “And I don’t understand it, because Emperor Romulus… He had been one of our kingdom’s most trusted allies and had always supported my parents… So I don’t understand  _ why _ he would suddenly switch agendas and conspire against them, to consort with my brother and aid him in overthrowing my father and...” The unspoken words of  _ “trying to kill me” _ lingered on the tip of Matthew’s tongue. “I just… I have to go to Rome and talk to him…”

 

“Are ye sure that’s a good idea?” Allistor asked gently, resting a hand on Matthew’s shoulder. “If he already helped promote the coup that nearly killed ye, then what’s to stop him from trying to kill ye on the spot?”

 

A long breath heaved itself from Matthew’s chest. “No, it’s not a good idea. I know that. But I don’t have any other options, because there’s no one else who could go in my place. It’s  _ personal _ ,” he mumbled, his hand seeming to instinctively come up to rest on top of Allistor’s.

 

It made his heart leap in his chest.

 

“Ye know, this seems to be a recurring theme,” Allistor stated, shifting closer until he was standing directly in front of Matthew, his free hand reaching up to cup Matthew’s cheek.

 

“Look, I’m not trying to run off and die or to try to sacrifice myself for some greater good or--”

 

Allistor bit back a snort, cutting Matthew off. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, making Matthew’s eyebrows furrow in confusion and he could feel the other tense up slightly. “I mean that everytime we end up talking about anything other than the feelings between us, ye have no problems with opening up to me or letting me get close to ye. But then the moment that it gets brought up, ye start getting that panicky look in yer eye and start trying to distance yerself,” he mumbled, his hand sliding its way into Matthew’s hair, gently massaging the back of his head.

 

A heavy blush crept its way along Matthew’s neck until even the tips of his ears were flushed crimson. Despite that, he seemed to be subconsciously leaning into Allistor’s hand rather than trying to pull away.  _ Progress. It’s progress. _

 

“So your solution to that was to lock us in here alone together until you manage to seduce me?” Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow as his gaze wandered slightly over the suit that Allistor was wearing. There was a flash of melancholy in his eyes that Allistor wasn’t quite able to place. “...Do you even know what this uniform is? How did you...”

 

At that, it was Allistor’s turn to raise an eyebrow, shrugging slightly. “No, like I said, this was all Gilbert and Francis’s idea. I just went along with it... I just wanted to be able to talk to ye without having ye run away on me again… Francis was the one who gave this to me and told me to wear it. Along with the wine, no matter how much I tried to protest against it…” He let out a sheepish chuckle, glancing down curiously as he watched Matthew’s fingers gently and methodically fixing the golden ornamentations that decorated the suit.

 

“It’s…” Matthew worried his lip between his teeth, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Allistor’s chest even after his hands had stilled. “It’s the dress uniform that belonged solely to my personal knights… I don’t even know how Francis would’ve managed to keep it with everything that had happened back then…”

 

“Yer personal knights…” Allistor repeated, staring thoughtfully at Matthew who merely nodded sheepishly. A small smile tugged at Allistor’s lips as he moved his hand from Matthew’s shoulder to rest on top of the other’s hands. “Matthew…” he whispered, causing the blonde to look up at him. “Will you let me be your knight?”

 

Matthew stilled, violet eyes widening. “Why?”

 

“Well, every prince needs a knight,” the redhead murmured, gently rubbing Matthew’s hands with his thumb, “and I’ve already told ye that I want to protect ye--”

 

“I’m still going to Rome,” Matthew retorted, the stubborn crease between his brows returning as he puffed out his cheeks. Allistor thought that it was cute.

 

“And I’m not going to stop ye,” he chuckled, his gaze growing soft. “Ye just need someone who’ll protect ye from yerself, from the loneliness and burdens that ye keep trying to inflict upon yerself when ye don’t need to be. I want to protect yer heart, Matthew, if ye’ll let me… Ye already have mine…”

 

Matthew blinked in surprise, biting his lip. Allistor could feel his hands tremble slightly against his chest.

 

“All I ask,” Allistor continued, his expression growing more serious, “is that ye answer me truthfully… If Ludwig hadn’t interrupted us the other night, would ye have let me kiss ye?”

 

Swallowing thickly, Matthew leaned forward slightly, hiding his face against the pirates chest. “I… I don’t know… I  _ wanted _ to, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that, if I’m ready for  _ love _ …”

 

_ Ye mean ye don’t think that ye deserve to be loved, don’t ye…? Oh, Matthew… I understand that better than ye may know... _

 

Taking a breath, Allistor continued to run his fingers through Matthew’s hair, gently nuzzling his cheek against the top of his head while he listened to his breathing hitch from the gesture. “No one’s ever ready for love. It’s not something that ye  _ can _ be ready for, because everyone finds love in different ways and experiences it differently… But I think that once ye find it, ye shouldn’t let it go, no matter how scary it is…”

 

He was silent for a moment before speaking up again, his voice thick from the raw emotions that were bubbling up inside his chest, his fears tumbling from his lips before he could stop them. But perhaps he didn’t want to stop it. “It scares me too, Matthew… It scares me that I found this wonderful, amazing, beautiful, smart man whose selfless and kind nearly to a fault, and yet he doesn’t seem to see his own worth. It scares me that I found someone that I think is so utterly perfect and that this might all end up being some sadistic dream showing me everything that I’ve ever wanted, only to end up waking up to have to live in a world where he doesn’t exist. It scares me that he might just end up charging straight into danger only to end up dying and cutting off any chance of a possible future that we might’ve had together… I’m scared of everything ending before it even truly has a chance to begin… I’m scared too,” he murmured, bringing his hands to gently cup Matthew’s cheeks and tilting his head up. Tears had begun to well up in those violet eyes that he loved so much. Allistor kissed away the salty liquid. “I’m scared of what I might do if someone took ye away from me forever… I already had a heart attack when I watched ye nearly die because of Roberts. I’m not about to let anybody do that to ye again…”

 

A shiver went down Matthew's spine, his breath hitching in his throat as he looked up at Allistor. A vortex of emotions swirled in his eyes: uncertainty, fear…but even more overwhelming than that there was a want and longing. "Allistor…" He bit his lip, his hands tightening on the front of the redhead's suit. "I want--..." Matthew cut himself off, tilting his head to the side as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "...Do you hear that?"

 

Allistor raised an eyebrow. "Hear what?" Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, that was when he heard it. A low rumbling sound. "Matthew, it's just thunder."

 

"Allistor, trust me…" Matthew levelled him with a deadpanned stare. " _ I _ know what thunder sounds like, and that is  _ not _ thunder…" he mumbled, pushing himself off of the desk as he grabbed one of Allistor's hands to pull him towards one of the large windows, each one covered by heavy curtains.

 

Before they could even reach the windows though, an explosion boomed somewhere above them, sending the ship tilting to the side. Allistor's eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around Matthew, catching and straying the blonde when he stumbled into him.

 

"What the hell is going on!?" Allistor exclaimed, but Matthew only shook his head, stumbling towards the window and ripping the curtains aside.

 

_ Fire. _ It was the first thing that Allistor saw.  _ The Bloody Victoria is on fire. _

 

"Our ships are under attack!" Matthew said, jogging towards the office door and trying to kick it open with no success as another round of cannonfire rocked the ships. "God dammit. We have to get out there!" the blonde growled, leaping over a sliding desk to get back over to Allistor. "Help me with one of these windows," he said, already getting to work on unscrewing the bolts.

 

"Who is it?" Allistor asked, quick to join Matthew at the window and heaving it open once they had unsecured it.

 

"I don't know. I can barely see their ship, but I can tell that it's bigger than ours!" Matthew exclaimed, raising his voice in order to be heard above the sudden wind as he began to climb out of the window.

 

Heart in his throat, Allistor followed him, clinging onto the rungs of the exterior ladder. He almost regretted it when his gaze flickered down to the ground far below them.  _ This is absolute madness!  _ Gritting his teeth, Allistor grabbed onto Matthew's offered hand to pull himself up onto the deck. 

 

Everything was chaos.

 

The crew from their other ship was frantically making their way aboard the  _ Old Fritz _ as they tried to get off of the burning Victoria. Allistor's gaze quickly scanned through the crowd until he finally spotted his siblings. Dylan was holding up Niamh who was cradling her left arm to her chest while Kiku was trying to check it over.

 

Gilbert was rushing around the deck, shouting orders with Arthur right behind him. It looked like they were having a heated debate over something, but Allistor couldn't be sure because his gaze had fixed itself upon the large skyship that was hovering in the air on the other side of the  _ Bloody Victoria _ .

 

Two words stood out to him among the rising smoke:  _ Europe's Sky. _

 

He hissed, stumbling slightly as another volley of cannonballs splintered into the smaller ship. His heart clenched in his chest as he watched the skyship began to gradually decline in altitude.

 

"Francis!" He heard Matthew yell, the former knight rushing over to the pair. "What's happening? Where are Ludwig and Liam?"

 

"It's your bounty hunters. They found us." Francis was out of breath as he merely shook his head. "I don't know. They were supposed to be on the other ship, taking measurements for their project. They should've made it out by now."

 

"They're not here."

 

Allistor turned to Gilbert and Arthur. The looks of panic and fear on both of their faces.

 

"We've looked for them all over this ship, and they aren't here. Nobody's seen them. They have to still be on the Victoria," Arthur wheezed, clutching his side as he nearly doubled over in pain. Gilbert's arm was quick to go around the blonde, keeping him steady as he coughed.

 

"The ship's starting to fall," Francis exclaimed, waving his arm towards the burning skyship. "There's no way that anyone can get to them and manage to get back to this ship."

 

Allistor looked down at the hand that squeezed his arm as bickering started to break out between the three pirates. He raised an eyebrow at Matthew who leaned closer to him, pressing the pommel of a sword into his hand.

 

"If the bounty hunters board the ship, hold them off. If you really want to be my knight, then protect them," Matthew murmured, nodding towards the others on the ship.

 

The redhead held Matthew's gaze for several moments, understanding what the man that he loved was about to do and the weight of trust that he was placing on Allistor. "I will. Go."

 

Without another word, Matthew was running off, grabbing one of the ropes hanging off a mast and using it as momentum to swing himself past the side of the ship before letting go.

 

“What the hell!?” Gilbert yelled, rushing to the edge of the ship. “Matthew!”

 

“He’ll be fine,” Allistor reassured, Arthur and Francis staring at him incredulously.

 

Gilbert rounded on him then. “Fine? Fine!? There’s nothing fine about jumping off of a skyship without any type of safety equipment! What the hell is he trying to do? Kill himself!?”

 

Allistor’s lips pulled back into a snarl as he grabbed the front of Gilbert’s shirt with his free hand and pulled him closer until they were nose-to-nose. “He is going to save our little brothers. I don’t know how, but I trust him and trust that he has a plan to get all of them back here safely, and I will stand by Matthew’s decision to do what needs to be done. I don’t need him to spell out his plan for me. I only intend to do what he trusts  _ me _ to do, and I will not doubt him and neither should ye after everything he’s done.  _ Do ye understand me? _ ”

 

There was only a heartbeat of silence as Gilbert flinched and looked away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “ _ Ja _ . I hear you,” he mumbled as Allistor let him go.

 

“Good, because we’re about to have company,” the redhead murmured, pushing through the crowd to stand closer to the side of the deck where the  _ Europe’s Sky _ was approaching. “Get everyone that ye can below deck!”

 

It didn’t take much to end up clearing the deck of their combined crews, many of them already having been taken to the hospital wing upon boarding from the destroyed skyship. Soon it was only Allistor and his siblings, Francis, Gilbert, and Kiku that were left on the deck of the  _ Old Fritz _ as the other ship dropped a boarding plank.

 

Two blonde figures strolled off the plank, stopping only a few yards in front of Allistor and the others. He recognized them instantly.  _ Mathias and Lukas… Lukas is the one with the troll bound to him…  _ He noticed that there were two others lingering on the deck of the other ship.

 

He could hear the stifled gasps of his siblings behind him, knowing that they could see the tortured Fae as well. If anything, Allistor thought that the creature looked to be in an even more feeble condition compared to the last time that he had seen it. It made him pity the troll.

 

“Well, well, well. If it ain’t Red from the tavern the other day, eh, Lukas?” Mathias laughed, and it merely made Allistor tighten his grip on the sword Matthew had given him. The rapier was a comforting presence in his hand at this point. He just didn’t know how well it would end up holding up against the giant axe that Mathias was haphazardly dragging behind him.

 

“Why are ye here? Why did ye attack us?” Allistor called out, attempting to buy Matthew some time and distract the bounty hunters.  _ I only hope that he managed to find them in time... _

 

It was Lukas that spoke. “We’re looking for Matthew. We know he’s here.”

 

“Well, that’s no bloody reason to attack our ship!” Arthur spat out, and Allistor could just barely make out Gilbert keeping the blonde restrained. His heart went out to Arthur, it really did, because he knew how much their skyship had meant to his brother, but he prayed that he would be sensible enough to keep his mouth shut for once.

 

"Aye, well, if yer looking for him, I'm afraid ye just missed him," Allistor said, jerking his thumb back towards the plummeting skyship, "because he was on that ship that ye just blew to pieces."

 

There was a moment of silence before Mathias let out an exasperated groan. "You've got to be kidding me! See! I told you it was a bad idea. They wanted Matthew  _ alive _ ! His body would probably be burnt to a crisp by now, and then they'll have  _ our _ heads for it..."

 

"Either way… It's an interesting development that we have here. The notorious Kirklands allying themselves with these former Arcadian scum," Lukas said slowly, his eyes slowly tracking across each one of them. "I'm sure Carriedo and the Emperor will be pleased to have a few new toys to play with, especially considering what they did to…" A too-wide smile spread across his face. It made Allistor shiver. "...the last one of them."

 

Allistor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, unable to keep his heart from running wild.  _ The last one of us? Is he talking about another Kirkland? Is that what happened to our father? Did he get captured during the raid against our village those years ago? Is he still alive? _

 

Chewing on his lip, he blinked at the sudden gale of wind that seemed to spring up, dark clouds rolling across the sky as thunder began to rumble faintly. It brought a small smile to his lips in spite of the situation in front of him.  _ Funny how something like a storm just makes me think of Matthew… _ His attention snapped back to the bounty hunter in front of him when he lifted one of his hands.

 

“Tino, bring him forward,” Lukas ordered.

 

Allistor’s blood ran cold, his hand tightening almost painfully around the hilt of his sword as the two men at the top of ramp finally came forward. It was then that he noticed a third figure with them, much shorter than either of them with all-too-familiar shaggy blonde hair and thick eyebrows; pale blue eyes stared sightlessly out at the world around him, as if he was seeing something that wasn’t actually there.

 

It was Niamh who cried out first, struggling against Dylan and Francis’s hold. “ _ Peter! _ ”

 

“How!? That’s impossible!” he heard Arthur mumble, his voice weak from the shock. “I saw him get killed! I s-saw…”

 

Despite all of the talking however, Allistor saw that Peter didn’t respond to any of it. There was no recognition that he was seeing or hearing any of the things that were happening in front of him.

 

Mathias held the blade of his axe against Peter’s throat. “Now, all of you will come with us without resistance. Otherwise, this kid’s head is coming off his body. Understand?”

 

Gritting his teeth, Allistor glanced around at his family, at the mixture of emotions that were splattered across each one’s face. Shock. Disbelief. Rage. Fear. They had spent so long believing that Peter had been dead, but perhaps death would’ve been a better fate compared to remaining in the hands of their enemy for so many years. Allistor didn’t know what to do.

 

However, it seemed as though Fate already had a plan in mind.

 

Lightning and thunder crackled and boomed overhead, lighting up the sky. One particular lightning strike though struck down close enough to the two ships that Allistor could feel the heat searing itself through the air. For a split second, he could’ve sworn that he had seen a large black winged shape descending through the path that the lightning had traced, but it was gone before he could be sure.

 

An explosion sounded from below not long after, sending several of the crewmembers of the  _ Europe’s Sky  _ scrambling to find the source.

 

“ _ The Victoria! It was struck! It’s been blown to pieces! It’s completely gone!” _

 

Those words caused Allistor’s heart to stutter in his chest, and he was sure that his knees would’ve given out beneath him if it hadn’t been for a sudden steadying hand against his elbow. He looked down with surprise to see Kiku standing next to him, a pensive expression on his face.

 

“Do not worry. He’ll be fine,” Kiku murmured, causing Allistor to raise an eyebrow in question, but Kiku merely shook his head and pointed up towards the sky as a dark figure rose from below the ships and circled above them.

 

Squinting up at the being, Allistor realized it was the object that he had thought that he had seen only moments before. Upon closer look, he noticed that it was the shape of the largest bird that he had ever seen, and each beat of its wings brought the song of thunder along with it.

 

Giving one last circle of the ships, the avian descended, gracefully landing near the bow of the boat and letting out a harsh cry at the bounty hunters. The bird must’ve been at least twenty feet tall from what Allistor could estimate. It was completely jet black with a long beak and glowing yellow eyes, though there were the occasional blue and gold crackles of lightning that seemed to dance across its feathers.

 

_ A thunderbird! _

 

A pale figure slipped down from the back of the bird, eventually followed by two smaller ones. Their skin was smudged and stained with soot, and the larger of the three figures was having to carry one of the others whose lower leg was bent at an unnatural angle. There was no way to mistake it though.

 

“Matthew…” The name was like a soothing balm to Allistor’s nerves.

 

Gilbert and Kiku rushed by him to help Matthew with Ludwig, realizing that it was the young teen who had broken his leg.

 

_ They’re alive. They made it back alive. _

 

The tired smile that Matthew sent him made everything worth it, and Allistor wished that he could just reach over and wipe the soot off of his prince’s cheek as he kissed him, but he knew it was neither the time nor place.

 

Handing Ludwig off to his brother and Kiku, Matthew’s smile faded as he turned to glare at the bounty hunters. “Using a child as leverage? How savage and unoriginal.”

 

“So… You’re alive, after all,” Lukas drawled, polishing his nails on his sleeve boredly. “See, Mathias? I told you everything would work out the way that I planned it.”

 

At that, Matthew narrowed his eyes, stepping his way in front of Allistor and the others as if he were a shield. “I’m afraid not. Let the child go, unless you would rather that  _ your _ ship turns into a pile of char?”

 

Several agonizing moments of silence stretched between them before Lukas held his hands in front of him in a seemingly harmless gesture. “That’s not going to happen.”

 

A dark purple light burst forth from Lukas’s raised hands, and the next thing that Allistor knew, he was laying face down on the deck. It felt as though an entire building had just fallen on top of him, and the more he tried to move, the more that it felt like he was being crushed beneath it. He felt as if he had been paralyzed, and there was a blinding moment of fear that he would end up being smashed into a pancake by the imprisoning magic, unable to breathe.

 

The only person who remained standing on their side was Matthew, and even he had been forced to his knees by whatever magic that Lukas had cast.

 

“Berwald,” Lukas stated with a snap of his fingers, motioning to the tall man next to Tino. The man complied wordlessly, stepping over to Matthew and dragging the prince to the bounty hunters none too gently by the back of his shirt.

 

A growl rose in the back of his throat that was mirrored by Matthew's as Lukas grabbed the blonde by his face. "You see, you  _ will _ do as you are told. If you don't, you will watch every single person in your little family die an agonising and painful death, begging for mercy. Starting with your redhead,” Lukas stated, turning Matthew’s head until they were both looking at Allistor.

 

Allistor could see the way that Matthew tensed up; the way that his muscles trembled and spasmed with the effort of staying upright; the blood that dripped from his nose from the strain of fighting against the magic that was trying to keep him restrained; the faint flickers of lightning that tried to spark to life along his fingertips. Pressing his lips together, Allistor gave a small shake of his head until Matthew’s shoulders drooped, and the redhead already knew what Matthew was going to say before the words had left his mouth.

 

“Give your word. Give your word that if I go with you peacefully and willingly that everyone on this ship will remain unharmed,” Matthew hissed out, sparking an outbreak of protests from the others on the deck telling him not to give himself over.

 

“You have my word.” A smirk spread across Lukas’s lips as he let go of Matthew’s face, causing the blonde to tumble to the ground in a limp pile. “Tino, Berwald! Bring them!” he instructed, wiping his soot-stained fingers onto Mathias’s coat despite the taller man’s protest.

 

Allistor watched helplessly as the man lifted Matthew by the back of his neck and dragged him up the ramp to the enemy ship, the other bounty hunters and Peter soon following.

 

“It was a pleasure doing business with ya!” Mathias yelled from the deck of their ship and giving a wave before the  _ Europe’s Sky _ began to head off into the distance.

 

It was only when the skyship was further away that Allistor felt the magic seal lift, leaving them all finally able to move freely again as they all frantically huddled together to try to regroup and take care of their injured.

 

And for the first time in a very long time, Allistor felt lost.

 

_ What are we supposed to do without Matthew? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This chapter ended up turning out a lot longer than I was expecting it to, but it's finally done. This is definitely a chapter with one of the bigger catalysts in it that I've been waiting to write for MONTHS!!!  
> I still can't believe the next chapter is going to be the 20th one! I know I'm excited for it. ~~When will Mattie and Allistor ever kiss? We may never know...~~  
>  I hope everyone enjoys!


	20. Complications

Arthur ran a shaking hand tiredly down his face as he weaved his way through the alleyways of St. Petersburg behind Gilbert, gaslit lanterns sporadically lighting their path. The past twelve hours had all passed in a blur.

His ship had been utterly destroyed into a flaming pile of ash. Matthew had been abducted by bounty hunters. Somehow Peter was still alive and had been left at the mercy of Carriedo for the past four years. They had spent the past twelve hours trying to take care of their injured crew members and gather new supplies to replace what was lost. Liam had tasked himself with taking care of a giant thunderbird that everyone else seemed to be far too weary to approach while the redheaded teen treated it like a baby. And now they were stuck trying to find Matthew’s smuggler friends to find out what they had ended up telling the blonde, because no one else knew.

“This is bloody hopeless…” Arthur groaned, latching a hand onto the back of Gilbert’s coat to prevent the crimson-eyed man from running off too far ahead of him. “Are you even sure that we’re in the right place? How are we supposed to find these people?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Gilbert stopped and raised an eyebrow at Arthur. Eventually he sighed, placing his hands on Arthur’s shoulders. “What’s really bothering you, Artie? I know it can’t be trying to find Birdie’s contacts. So what is it?”

“What’s bothering me? Peter was supposed to be dead! And now he’s suddenly back from the grave?” Arthur scowled, shaking his head. “I want to know what those sick bastards did to my brother. And then there was that Lukas wanker. The magic that he had… It wasn’t natural, and he had some sort of fae bound to him, and I don’t understand any of it. I’ve barely gotten my memories back. I can’t use my magic. Everything is falling apart around us, and I feel so useless.” He cursed as his voice broke. “It’s seemed that for so long, it’s always been Matthew that’s been the one to bail us out of whatever horrible situation that we’ve gotten ourselves into, and now he might as well be dead for all that we know. Hell, while we were busy running around the ship like chickens with our bloody heads cut off trying to find our brothers, Matthew was the one that literally leaped into a flaming pile of wreckage to save them…”

“Hey… Look at me…” Gilbert murmured, his voice surprisingly soft as Arthur glanced up at him. “You’re not useless. You’re an amazing captain and an amazing man on top of that. I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if that weren’t true.” Gilbert’s smile widened briefly before he became a bit more somber as he continued speaking. “I don’t think any of us really know what to do in a situation like this. We’re all out of our depth. I know Alli’s been taking it harder than most of us have...just because of his feelings for Mattie…”

At that, Arthur raised an eyebrow, not realizing that his brother had fallen in love with the former prince. Had he really had his head stuck so far up his own arse worrying about his own problems and memories that he couldn’t even notice something as simple as what his own brother was feeling? “That’s not making me feel any better…” Arthur grumbled, crossing his arms with a huff and glancing away. “Look, let’s just try to find whoever this...Ivan and Natalya are and find out what they know. Otherwise we might as well just head back to the ship now if all we’re going to do is dilly-dally around,” he muttered, beginning to push past Gilbert to continue down the alleyway.

However, he had barely taken two steps before a shining silver blade sliced its way through the air between them and embedded itself in the wall mere inches from their faces. Their hands were on the hilts of their swords in an instant, whirling around in an attempt to find the threat. If they got caught here, they’d be at a severe disadvantage, the alleyway barely providing them with enough room to even draw their swords, much less fight.

“Who are you? And why do you search for them?”

Arthur spun towards the sound of the voice, noticing a hooded figure crouched on a ledge above them. He could just barely make out the glint of a silver blade and long pale hair in the darkness. An ambush!? Gritting his teeth, Arthur began to draw his sword from its scabbard, but when Gilbert placed a hand on his arm to stop him, the blonde raised an eyebrow, barely managing to bite back his protest.

Gilbert shook his head before pushing back his hood and waving up at the mysterious figure. “Hey, Nat! Long time, no see. It’s just me!”

There was a brief pause before the woman let out an exasperated sigh and hopped down to the ground. “Be grateful that you didn’t end up with a knife through your head, Beilschmidt,” she murmured, slipping the knife in her hand back into its sheath at her waist before retrieving the other one from the wall. She rounded on the pair, her gaze cold as she glanced between them. “What are you still doing here? We had our meeting with Matthew. You should’ve left already.”

Arthur didn’t know anything about this woman, but he could’ve sworn that he picked up the faintest hint of concern in her voice as she leaned against the wall.

“About that… There are...complications?” Gilbert explained hesitantly, coughing lightly into his fist before rubbing the back of his neck and glancing out of the alley to make sure that no one was nearby. “Is there anyway that we can speak in private? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t urgent…”

Natalya stared at the couple for a few moments in silence before eventually sighing, gesturing for them to follow after her.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at Gilbert before following after the pirate captain upon his silent urging. It only made the blonde sigh in exhaustion, rubbing his face and almost jogging to keep up with the pair as they followed after the woman. The path that they traveled was like a convoluted maze, and Arthur was sure that he’d never remember the way back to the ship at the rate that they were going. Of course, he understood the precautions that needed to be taken, but it didn’t make it any more pleasant, especially with the amount of stress they were currently under.

Ducking inside of an older building, Natalya led the pair down into the basement. Boxes and crates were piled high and stacked around the large room, and Arthur could only guess what the contents contained. After all, if they were dealing with smugglers, then they likely consisted of rare and valuable--and oftentimes illegal--objects of questionable origin.

As Natalya sat down and propped her boots on her desk, she motioned for the men to take a seat in the available chairs. Gilbert plopped himself down with a sense of familiarity, while Arthur was much more hesitant. “My brother, Ivan, isn’t here right now. He had other matters to attend to.” Waving her hand at the silver-haired man, Natalya crossed her arms over her chest. “What brings you back to St. Petersburg? I thought you were to leave after Matthew met with us. You said there were complications.”

Gilbert sighed, suddenly looking far more defeated and tired than Arthur had seen in a long time. It made the blonde want to reach over and pull him into a hug, but he settled on merely resting his hand on top of his. A small smile tugged at Gilbert’s lips as he glanced over at Arthur, but it soon faded again as he faced the smuggler.

“Matthew’s been taken by the bounty hunters of the Europe’s Sky. I don’t know how much you know of them…” Gilbert mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to act nonchalant about it, but it seemed as though those few words had piqued Natalya’s interest.

She instantly leaned forward, worry breaking the cold facade that her face had been set in. “I know plenty about them, and none of it pleasant. Tell me what happened.”

“Well, after Matthew had finished up with your meeting, we had boarded our ships and had started to head off, but before we had even managed to get too far, Artie’s ship was shot down by those assholes. Matthew managed to save Liam and Luddy from the ship, but by the time that he’d gotten them back to the Old Fritz, those bounty hunters had already boarded and were threatening us, threatening to kill Peter if we tried to fight against them. The Lukas guy ended up using some sort of magic that immobilized us all, but then…” Gilbert chewed on his lip, squeezing Arthur’s hand. “Matthew sacrificed himself to make sure that we would all stay free, even though he’s going to be delivered straight into the hands of Carriedo and the Emperor. And unfortunately, Matthew never shared any of the information that you guys told him before he was taken.”

Natalya nodded slowly, processing everything that Gilbert mentioned as her violet-blue gaze flickered between the two pirate captains, steepling her fingers together. “And you want me to tell you what we told Matthew.”

It wasn’t a question, but rather the statement of a fact, and she was right. They needed to be able to know everything. They were at a disadvantage right now, and they needed to be able to have every possible weapon at their disposal. And knowledge was one of the most powerful weapons that there were.

“Yes, that would be quite-- That is to say, that’s why we came to you,” Arthur spoke up, leaning forward slightly, his gaze intent as the words began to flood out of his mouth. “Not only did they take Matthew, but they also have my brother. Four years ago, I watched Carriedo kill him, and yet somehow my brother is still alive and that bastard has him. Lukas said something about experiments, so I don’t think Peter is the only one that they’ve done this to. And Lukas used some type of magic against us that left us immobile and completely at their mercy. The only one who even remotely managed to physically stand against it was Matthew. And I saw a--” He cut himself off, biting his lip almost hard enough to draw blood. Should he reveal anymore information about his family? About their own magic abilities? About the Sight that all of them shared?

Apparently it wasn’t necessary for him to say anymore.

“You saw the troll that Lukas keeps bound to him with dark magic,” Natalya murmured simply. Again, it was a statement and not a question.

How she knew that was beyond Arthur’s understanding, unless she too somehow had magic powers or a bloodline that granted her the Sight. “Yes…” Arthur stated slowly, green eyes narrowing as he shifted in his seat slightly. “Which is why we need as much information about our enemies as possible. We need to know what Matthew was told.”

“Please, Natalya,” Gilbert said gently, surprising Arthur at the faintest hint of desperation that was in the man’s voice. “You know that we-- that I wouldn’t be asking this of you if the situation weren’t dire. As much as I don’t get along with your brother most of the time, I won’t deny that you’ve both been critical in aiding our fight against the empire that Alfred has been trying to build…”

“I know.” Eventually Natalya sighed, sliding her long braid over her shoulder and twirling her fingers through the ends of her hair. “But you also know that all information comes with a price,” she stated, her gaze taking on an uncharacteristically intense and calculating sheen as she stared at the pair of men across from her.

It made Arthur shift with discomfort. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he suddenly felt as though he were stranded out in the middle of the ocean and being circled by a much bigger fish than he wanted to be around. Something in his mind screamed that there was something off, that there was something not quite entirely...human about that stare, as if she had power, as if she were something…

Other.

“What’s the price?” Gilbert asked, making Arthur raise an eyebrow and open his mouth to protest, but Gilbert merely squeezed his hand and shook his head to dissuade him from speaking.

Time seemed to drag on for far longer than it should’ve as Arthur sat in the chair, trapped by the piercing cold gaze in front of him. Of course, whenever Natalya finally spoke up again, Arthur didn’t like the answer that she had to give, but for entirely different reasons than he had been expecting as a sudden wave of possessiveness swept over him, surprising himself with the strength of the emotion.

“A kiss.”

Gilbert, on the other hand, seemed to deflate at the answer, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Oh…” He looked over at Arthur, shrugging slightly, though Arthur could tell by the tenseness in his shoulders that he was upset. “I mean, we don’t really have much choice, do we?”

Arthur knew that Gilbert was right. They needed the information, and Natalya had stated the price that needed to be paid, but that didn’t mean that Arthur had to like it.

In fact, he didn’t like the idea of Gilbert kissing anyone, which only made him feel more conflicted and confused than anything else. It wasn’t as though he and Gilbert were in a relationship, after all. They had been back before the attack on their village, back before Arthur had lost his memories, but that had been years ago. And even with Arthur’s memories returning, they still hadn’t tried to cross that fuzzy bridge of blurred feelings.

There had to be more to her request than just simply a kiss, especially with the odd aura that Arthur was sensing from the woman. I don’t think that she’s fae; at least not fully fae, because she wouldn’t be able to tolerate being around so much iron if that were the case, but she’s at least capable of seeing Fae that are glamored and hidden from mortal view. Is she perhaps a half-fae like Matthew is? If so, how would that affect anything, and what type would she even be?

Fae are often known for deviousness and trickery in their ways… They know how to lie with the truth and make you believe things. It’s all within the specificity of something and the context that it’s meant in. That’s why so many of them like to speak with riddles, in order to confuse and confound those asking them for help, trying to find loopholes within the constraints of what they’re being asked to do...

Perhaps the kiss is a riddle, but then what’s the answer? What’s the loophole here?

Biting his lip, Arthur glanced over at Gilbert whenever the silver-haired man began to stand up until Arthur grabbed his hand and made him sit back down. “I’ll do it,” the blonde blurted out, swallowing thickly as he jumped out of his seat and tried to ignore the hurt on Gilbert’s face, the intrigue on Natalya’s face.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as he quickly tried to look for an alternative solution, hands shaking and heart pounding as he smoothed out his shirt. Glancing between Gilbert and Natalya, he made up his mind with a nod of his head.

Before Gilbert had a chance to react, Arthur grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. It earned him a muffled noise of surprise from the crimson-eyed man, until eventually his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned into the lips that felt scorching against his own. An electrifying current of passion ran between them, compacting all of their yearning and wants and needs into one simple action.

And for Arthur, it felt as though a dam in his mind had burst, memories and emotions freely flowing forth until he felt lightheaded and dizzy. Each important moment of his life flashed through his mind with crystal clarity, each stolen kiss and each promise between him and Gilbert when they were younger, all rushing back to him.

It was only at the sound of Natalya clearing her throat that Arthur pulled away from the kiss, his face blazing crimson and his lungs burning. Crossing his arms over his chest, he lifted his chin to stare at the woman, only to find an amused smile on her lips. “You said a kiss. You didn’t say who it had to be between.”

“I know, and as such, you’ve fulfilled your payment,” Natalya said simply, nodding in understanding, though what she said next filled Arthur with confusion. “Your magic should be accessible to you now as well.”

“My...magic?”

“Wait, wait, hold on!” Gilbert exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and looking thoroughly winded, his face flushed and clothes rumpled. There were the faintest hints of hurt and disappointment in his expression as he placed his hand on Arthur’s elbow. “So all of that just now… That was…”

“Because I wanted to kiss you, you idiot,” Arthur scoffed, scuffing the toe of his boot on the floor, causing a smug smile to instantly stretch across Gilbert’s face.

“True love’s kiss,” Natalya interrupted, her gaze stern as the two men focused on her. “It has the ability to cure a great many magic-related curses, like the abnormality in your magic. The blockage, if you will. I assume that the two of you haven’t kissed since you’ve been together?”

“Not after he had lost his memories,” Gilbert answered, his fingers dancing across his lips before he shook his head, crossing his arms. “But that’s enough about all of that. We need to know what Matthew was told, so that we can find him and prepare ourselves for anything that we might face.”

Right. We’re here on a mission, and we can’t get sidetracked.

Natalya sighed, pushing herself to her feet and twirling the end of her braid between her fingers. “Very well,” she said, motioning for Arthur and Gilbert to return to their seats, only speaking up once they had. “There have been many whispers among the people. About suspicious shipments being sent to Rome and of supposedly anonymous shipments between Rome and Arcadia. No one wants to say that they’re from the two emperors, but that’s what seems to be the case. It’s possible that it’s a new arsenal or new weapons… Everyone feels as though an invasion is imminent.”

“What do you mean by an invasion?” Arthur asked, his eyebrows scrunching together in concern. He didn’t like the sound of any of what they were being told.

“It means that it seems as though Rome and Arcadia are allying together, helping one another, and they plan on trying to expand both of their empires far into the reaches of the other countries’ territories, which obviously presents a whole slew of complications,” Natalya stated, beginning to pace. “Because what we don’t know is what these shipments contain or how deadly their contents could possibly be. We don’t know where the majority of them are being stockpiled. We don’t even know why there’s been such a shift in Romulus’s foreign policy.”

Arthur opened his mouth in order to speak up, only to find himself being surprisingly interrupted by Gilbert. But then he had to remind himself that Gilbert had spent years working for the Kingdom of Arcadia as one of their knights, so obviously he had to have some sort of knowledge of their military.

“I don’t like the sound of this at all. Back whenever I was still an Arcadian knight…” Gilbert murmured, rubbing his chin with a sigh. “Back then, Romulus had ended up being one of the biggest supporters of the king, King Ignatius. He was one of Ignatius and Marianne’s most trusted allies and always offered aid to them whenever there were any natural disasters that required it, but the king and queen were always sure to repay Romulus when that were to happen.” He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up with a grumble of frustration. “If he’s suddenly supporting Alfred now… No, it would be even worse if he’s been supporting Alfred this entire time, because if he’s part of the reason that Alfred managed to accumulate enough power to cause the coup…”

A memory drifted through Arthur’s mind, making him stiffen slightly. He didn’t want to think of what the implications of such a thing could mean. “Antonio and the soldiers…” he muttered, resting his elbows on his knees and staring down at the floor. “He was wearing Roman armor when our village was attacked. You don’t think that Romulus was already trying to help overthrow the Ignatius even then, do you? That Antonio’s been working for him this entire time?”

Natalya hummed softly, propping her hip against the desk. She looked tired as she spoke. “Antonio Fernández Carriedo… I know some of this man. It’s been said that he’s the bastard son of a Roman lord and an Arcadian maiden. An unwanted pregnancy which drove the mother into despair, leaving the child in an orphanage within the Arcadian capital. Once he was old enough, he started working within the walls of the castle and soon began training to become a knight. Who the parents actually are, no one knows…” Natalya paused, pursing her lips together with a small shrug. “Though there have been rumors that he looks strikingly similar to one Henrique Joaquim-Carriedo… But perhaps the rumors are just rumors.”

Gilbert shook his head, standing up and stretching, surprising Arthur slightly with his next words. “Who fucked who isn’t the problem right now. Antonio isn’t the problem right now, as much as I want to bash his face in for trying to kill Arthur...and me. What we need is to know about Lukas and where his crew could’ve taken Matthew. We can deal with Antonio later. If we don’t rescue Matthew though, we’re not going to stand a chance…”

As much as Arthur didn’t want to admit it, as much as he wanted to be able to get revenge on the bastard that had murdered his brother and tore their family apart, Gilbert was right. They needed to focus on their current objective, and that was to find and rescue Matthew.

Tilting her head to the side, Natalya raised an eyebrow with a bit of a deadpanned expression as if to conceal the feelings of exasperation that she felt. “Lukas and his men are bounty hunters. They collect bounties. And where do you think collected bounties are taken?”

A feeling of dread coiled its way into Arthur’s stomach, nausea making the back of his throat burn. The look that he shared with Gilbert confirmed that they were thinking the same thing. That the same impossible task lay heavy in their minds.

“Straight to the emperor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry that it's been so long since the last update! But also, we're now at chapter 20 and over 50k words!!!  
> For those of you that read my story "A Chance Encounter" you already know this, but I did spend a good amount of time writing a 20 chapter RomaCan fic called "Somewhere in Neverland" which ended up taking WAY longer ~~and being way longer, since it was just supposed to be a one-shot~~ than I had anticipated, but that's finally done and out of the way. Plus work and life in general have been simply overly exhausting.  
> I appreciate everyone's patience and support! Every kudos and comment that you guys leave is definitely a big motivating factor to keep continuing, and as always, I hope everyone continues to enjoy the story and what's to come!


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